[7/17/2026, 5:16:14 PM] Dammitwho
Alright, who've we got
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:18 PM] CBN
its me
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:17 PM] Crion
oim here
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:27 PM] Gul Banana
me, though i can't go as long as usual today
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:36 PM] Gul Banana
(irl things eventually)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:51 PM] Dammitwho
That's fine, I also cannot go as long as usual (also irl things, cousin's in town)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:16:55 PM] Nicolae
tell your cousin to roll up a character
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:17:14 PM] Dammitwho
enough of this. one tak! one riker! one bridge!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:17:23 PM] Crion
lol
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:18:12 PM] Nicolae
i don't know how to get rid of the duplicate... i don't even know which one is the real one anymore...
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:18:31 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
select yourself and press Delete
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:19:07 PM] Crion
doing the "no he's the imposter" bit as an autovignette before deleting both tokens
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:20:57 PM] Nicolae
oh god. i'm a murderer
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:23:44 PM] Dammitwho
Alright, let's see. Lindal was heading to the docks and had just seen someone they knew from their association with the Hurricane Queen (but have not yet described), Tak had gone to the Gallery of Innovation to hang with Bryndak Ashmantle, Imran had gone to the New Thassilonian embassy and, to his surprise, found himself expected, and Dubnoom was making big deals with a friend in the media industry
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:24:01 PM] Crion
indeed...for charity work
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:24:54 PM] Nicolae
my plans for this session are basically: find an alchemy lab so i can finally do my daily alchemies production, and then also try my hand at a "work a job" roll, whatever it's called. might also go shopping now that we're loaded, i should look into a potions bandolier so i can actually use the potions i make in combat without having to use two actions
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:25:21 PM] Nicolae
("in combat" goes with "use" not "make")
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:27:28 PM] Dammitwho
bandoliers are indeed Tech
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:28:23 PM] Nicolae
although i'm having trouble finding such a thing on archive of nethys...
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:28:38 PM] Dammitwho
So! Lindal, please describe the salty seadog you meet on Pilot Island!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:30:41 PM] Dammitwho
ohhh right, bandoliers are unnecessary in 2e, they're a +EV 1e play
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:15 PM] Dammitwho
because they changed how items are stored. basically you're just declaring your potions as Worn instead of Stored
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:19 PM] Imran Traveler
In the embassy, Imran does as he's told, ascending the stairs to the waiting room at the head of the east wing. Ayandai, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Her Most Serene Majesty Sorshen of Eurythnia, was expecting him. To congratulate him on his charity.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:21 PM] Imran Traveler
Alright.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:22 PM] Nicolae
oh, damn... that's much easier
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:33 PM] Dammitwho
you have a limit of 5 Bulk for that, i believe?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:38 PM] Nicolae
about, yeah
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:31:59 PM] Nicolae
so they've been one action to use this whole time?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:32:05 PM] Nicolae
as long as i have them as worn?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:32:25 PM] Nicolae
oh, maybe not
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:32:41 PM] Dammitwho
no, two actions. one to get them into your hands, a second to drink them
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:32:50 PM] Dammitwho
if they were in your backpack, they'd be *three* actions
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:33:13 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Is that Leal Khun? What's the South Wind's purser doing ashore? Lindal can't even see her distinctive masts in the harbour... which makes sense if he thinks about it, since one or another of the city's Guards would be besieging the pirates if they did tie up openly. Anyway, he can see the rain orc, who was moderately indulgent of Lindal's questions and clambering a few months back. Seems like a good man to bother again today.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:33:28 PM] Nicolae
i probably should have specified alchemical bombs instead of potions but yeah, the math still works out the same
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:33:30 PM] Nicolae
dang
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:36:06 PM] Dammitwho
{Sure, we can always use an extra pair of hands. Better still if they're attached to a brain that knows what it's about!} Bryndak says to Tak knowingly.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:40:44 PM] Dammitwho
Imran is left alone for a bit in the tastefully-appointed waiting room. The chairs, while not exactly the sort of deep wingback musing-by-the-fire things that produce maximum comfy, are well-cushioned and attractive. That may not sound like much, but a waiting room that you aren't miserable to hang out in gets you noticed in bureaucratic society.
After a moment, an athletic aasimar woman with short silver hair pokes her head in. "Imran Traveler?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:41:28 PM] Imran Traveler
He stands. "I am."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:42:50 PM] Imran Traveler
He did at least clean himself up a bit from the sewer before venturing out this way and risking the Hellknights; washed, changed under-clothing, so on. Good decision.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:43:30 PM] Dammitwho
Leal Khun sits on a barrel, whittling idly and smoking a pipe. He looks up as Lindal approaches. "Blow me sideways, if it isn't Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya! I knew you were a wanderer as soon as look at you, but never did I expect to see you up Kortos!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:45:43 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin Sallowthorne has just received Dubnoom's request to be introduced to all three of the goblin power blocs in Absalom. "Always knew you were a man with a keen eye for the goss, and what's the difference between that and newsworthy information when it comes to the movers and shakers, am I right? So who tickles your fancy first?" Dubnoom still has a letter from his 'aunt', "Six Duchesses" Grimbleshanks of the Green Court, but there's nothing saying he has to care. Familial relationships are still a bit modern in goblin society.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:47:24 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal's mouth does an :O. "I too am blown away; nobody's remembered my whole name before, excepting certain inconvenient bureaucrats. How are you, Mr Leal? How's the hold - groaning with treasure?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:47:45 PM] Tak Ironflame
{I've been told I've got one of those too.} Tak says modestly, grinning. {Do you know anyone in particular who's looking for hands and a brain to go with?}
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:49:58 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Goblin wisdom: If it's in front of your face it's the most important thing. He holds up the letter. "Six Duchesseses. It only makes sense."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:53:12 PM] Gul Banana
it's a good thing pf2e doesn't have alignment... i'd probably have to declare lindal as chaotic good-to-neutral
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:53:56 PM] Crion
dubnoom just writing "chaotic" in the alignment field
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:54:05 PM] Dammitwho
"This way, please." The aasimar woman says.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:54:08 PM] Crion
imran writing "chaotic lawful"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:54:25 PM] Dammitwho
ttrpgs usually have a carveout for pirates, on the Pirates Are Fun rule
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:54:23 PM] Imran Traveler
He collects his shield and follows.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:55:32 PM] Gul Banana
even self-serious builders of historical-fantasy-conspiracy videogames know pirates are fun.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:56:40 PM] CBN
dubnoom writing an indecipherable glyph for his alignment
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:57:13 PM] Dammitwho
"Treasure? And why would the South Wind, a humble trader of stonefruit and dried shivanberry, be having any of that? To be sure, being anchored well asea and in position for the Night Market is a fretful position for an honest trader, but bother none and no bother will come to you, eh?" He winks hugely. "And what of you, you young scalawag? Talked any more water elementals back into the sea?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:58:51 PM] Dammitwho
"Makes sense, makes perfect sense." Nedwin allows. "If we leave for the Puddles now we should just be able to see everyone, now that I think about it. That is, if you're willing to brave... The Pyramid of the Dog."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 5:59:19 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom narrows his eyes and is definitely NOT pulling his hat low to hide inside of. "The where of whom?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:00:58 PM] Dammitwho
Imran follows the aasimari woman down a hall, past a few nameplated offices, toward a door with a bit larger nameplate advertising itself as the
Office of the Eurythnian Ambassador
Ayandei
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:01:07 PM] Dammitwho
...past that door.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:01:14 PM] Imran Traveler
Internal sigh of relief.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:01:22 PM] Dammitwho
She turns and faces Imran in the hall. Curtly, she says: "Load heavy."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:01:41 PM] Imran Traveler
He controls his eyebrows magnificently, in that one of them doesn't shoot up. Evenly: "Aim high."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:02:31 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"I'm afraid, no... I've only managed one sea voyage so far. There was a big storm but it was barely malign... could even just have been a weather phenomenon..." Lindal frowns in sorrow, or possibly mock sorrow.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:02:33 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"This place is amazing though. It is of course your cargo of fruits which I refer to as treasures, and the city's vendors seem to understand this! Delicacies from all over Golarion! There's actually too much to do and see, it's a challenge just to get oriented."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:03:39 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He's decided against mentioning the group of pathfinders, initially. Might give Leal the wrong impression, that of some upstanding group of adventurer-citizens who wouldn't want to associate with shady figures.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:04:25 PM] Dammitwho
"Good." She turns on her heel and continues walking, expecting you to follow. The ambassador's office retreats into the distance. "We're lucky Futhark was able to make contact. Identifying you from an impostor when the state of Nidal knows so much about you had us fretting. Not long now." Turning a corner, she pushes open a pair of double doors, revealing one of the largest shrines to Nocticula that Imran has ever seen. The patronage of a sorcerer-queen has its perks.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:05:08 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran blinks and only partially stifles a smile.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:05:16 PM] Imran Traveler
He follows, of course.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:05:32 PM] Imran Traveler
"This is...this is quite something."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:07:21 PM] Dammitwho
There's the large, exquisitely well-carved statue of the Redeemer Queen herself, fine silks and draperies giving the place a somewhat debauched air. Paintings cover the walls and other artworks are proudly displayed - including a few sculptures that don't seem to portray anything in particular. Very modern. On a chaise longue, a young blonde man with short slightly-curly hair lounges, wearing only a fairly scandalous violet dressing gown.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:08:28 PM] Dammitwho
"I'm Hope, High Priestess of Nocticula in Absalom." The aasimari woman says. "...I have to admit, I'm a little shocked to see you, even though we'd prepared in advance."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:09:17 PM] Dammitwho
"She told us you were coming, you see. One of her messengers - a Bright Succubus - warned us of your arrival, said you should be given all the help we could."
"Didn't say why," the young man drawls.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:09:21 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran is not often given reason for reminder that he is extremely out of character when it comes to worshippers of the Redeemer Queen; many of the shrines he's attended are muddy little things of heart and grace, in the corners of dwellings and yes, the backyards of sympathetic temples, out on the road.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:09:49 PM] Imran Traveler
He finds it doesn't bother him as much as he assumed it might; he nods his head in almost a bow to the young man.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:11:21 PM] Dammitwho
"Turned around, are you?" asks Leal. "I spend most my time around the docks, but I'm not so green as I'm grass-colored!" He roars with laughter. "What were you looking for?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:11:40 PM] Imran Traveler
"Thank you, Hope, and well met." He pauses a moment; he's still fully catching up with the shrine and its attendants, let alone...so the High Priestess just said that...the Queen Herself called ahead.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:13:07 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom has, a little bit but certainly, slowed his steps.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:13:11 PM] Dammitwho
{The dedicated innovators here always need reagents, components, you name it. They'll buy them off you, since you're what you might call a contract-man. Plenty of workshops here that'll be glad to have you lend your aid.} Bryndak nods, gesturing around the inside of the Temple of Innovation.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:13:42 PM] Imran Traveler
"I can...think of a possible reason. It's not a good one in terms of valence, but it certainly is in terms of importance. Our Queen's knowledge is vast and exceeds my own, of course. Perhaps she has different designs."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:15:50 PM] Dammitwho
"I've only seen dogs there a few times myself, you understand. Not since the guard cracked down. Used to be a siege pyramid, the kind ya see outside the walls. No damned idea how it got to the Puddles. Don't care either." Nedwin muses as he continues leading Dubnoom towards the Puddles district.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:16:34 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Tasks," Lindal replies. "Traders in favours... people who need things done by an agile mind and agile hands, who can do things in return. Some kinda entry point to this city... it's like Niswan of which I've told you, but big. So big! And not mine, not yet. The best idea I've had is to follow the roof-runner gangs about... do you know of any shortcuts, friend p- friend sailor?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:16:45 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom, less "lagging behind" and more "appointing Nedwin an unwitting shield/dog practice dummy" nods. "Mm. Pyramid of maybe dogs. Very well." It's NOT very well.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:18:03 PM] Gul Banana
what if there was some way to reduce it to a pyramid of zero dogs.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:19:29 PM] Dammitwho
"She said you'd be pursued." Hope says. The young man on the couch seem to have lost interest and is reading a small pamphlet, or pehaps he just is professionally louche and disinterested.
"We guessed by Nidal or Cheliax, something to do with the revolution in Ravounel?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:22:10 PM] Imran Traveler
"Not directly, but I suspect so close to directly as to make them neighbors. I bear a dread bauble taken from the Tyrant's own place of power, of which I must first identify the nature and then a manner of disposal that doesn't simply return it to the Enemy. Me and mine are hunted as we bear it, as you say. We will have to move on, but not before we are ready. We intend to make some sort of difference here, and maintain some sort of presence, Hellknight-botherers or not."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:22:51 PM] Tak Ironflame
What are some of the workshops represented here in the Gallery of Innovation that appear to have an interest in alchemical work, smithing, or magical item crafting? Tak will go introduce himself to a few, after chatting a little more with Bryndak.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:23:00 PM] Imran Traveler
"Slaughtered some Skinsaws opening a portal to their own personal monster this morning, so we are making some progress there. It'll draw Lictor Adom's attention. I see he's been giving quotes in the papers."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:23:13 PM] Dammitwho
(just a sec, looking up a rule)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:23:31 PM] Gul Banana
tfw you slaughter
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:23:41 PM] Gul Banana
(we kind of did, but they started it)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:24:10 PM] Dammitwho
Lindal! Roll Sense Motive!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:26:14 PM] Gul Banana
I *think* this is a perception check...
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:26:15 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
13
1d20 + 9 = 4 + 9 = 13
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:26:33 PM] Gul Banana
oh no... motives may abound in secret...
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:28:50 PM] Dammitwho
The man on the couch gives an ugly laugh (well, quite an attractive laugh, but he seems pretty mean about it) at the mention of Lictor Udom's complaints.
"Hush, Ty." Hope scolds. "A... bauble? What kind of bauble?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:32:20 PM] Imran Traveler
"A useless yet dangerous orb. You may not see it. It remains hidden where it is. Consequences occur when it emerges."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:32:50 PM] Crion
brb
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:36:02 PM] Dammitwho
Tak has his pick of quite a few workshops. There's The Escapement, which develops the sacred gear trains that turn the ever-rotating flywheels on the Temple's roof, run by acolyte Camani Jensen, assisted by Odrezza "Three-Hands" Valken and Wemmel Cogsprocket;
The Bronze Choir, which casts the Temple's votive bronzes and experiments with alloying composite metals, run by Deacon Harlgo Emberchant and assisted by Sistrine Vold;
The Volatile Annex, which works with reagents, propellants, combustibles, and self-heating alloys, run by Provost Ilka Marchen and assisted by Burbidge;
The Anatomy of Motion, a workshop for limbs, joints, and automatons, run by Bagara Broadfoot and assisted by Thessaly Ninefold;
The Measured Engine, masters of instruments, records, and televox research, run by Archivist Symo and assisted by Mirtion.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:36:52 PM] Gul Banana
technically we don't know whether the triune device is useless. it could be very useful AND very dangerous, for example.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:37:04 PM] Crion
b
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:37:48 PM] Dammitwho
Leal gazes at Lindal thoughtfully for a moment. Whatever he's thinking, it's obscure to Lindal. Perhaps he doesn't even notice it. After a time, he says: "Have ye tried down the Wounded Wisp?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:41:41 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"I've not, but I'd be happy to follow directions. My afternoon's entirely set aside for exploration. Morning was a funny story..."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:42:21 PM] Nicolae
urgh, brb
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:43:04 PM] Dammitwho
"Probably for the best." Hope chews her lip for a moment, then startles. "Lady of Exiles! Are you the reason we started seeing Low Men? The expat community was scared out of their wits--" She sighs. "No, no, sorry. That's unfair. It's not your fault." She rubs the bridge of her nose. "We can find you a safehouse to hide out in, indefinitely if you need it. Absalom's probably the safest place right now - we've managed to keep the Low Men out. If you need sagework done, and it sounds like you do, that'll take a little longer. But I think I know some people who can help."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:43:32 PM] Dammitwho
"It's the Hellknights you'll have to worry about. Things are much more serious than they appear in the papers."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:44:07 PM] Imran Traveler
Unflinchingly: "Yes. I am the reason you started seeing Low Men."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:45:44 PM] Imran Traveler
"Therefore I will assist in exterminating them, as necessary. We are looking for a safehouse; we would welcome help. My companions are unconventional but trustworthy and virtuous. Even the goblin. In many ways, especially the goblin."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:47:46 PM] Imran Traveler
"They will also assist in locating the sagework; if I might, the safehouse should take priority here, while we handle the sagework. No reason to drag the sages and professors into potential Hellknight surveillance or outright thuggery."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:49:40 PM] Dammitwho
Speaking of the goblin, as Dubnoom and Nedwin continue to the Puddles, Dubnoom notices the environs getting more, well.. damp. The Puddles is aptly named - the district where an earthquake dropped the whole district a few critical inches below sea level. It's obvious to Dubnoom within a few squelchy steps why the man who drove him to Absalom on a cart considered this district a shithole - it clearly floods regularly, perhaps daily. Men and Women slog their best through muddy streets, and in the distance Dubnoom can see small, agile skiffs propelled by poles moving through flooded alleys.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:50:25 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin doesn't continue through the mud, though. He diverts to the side of one building and yanks experimentally on a rope ladder that's been let down from its roof. "Ever been to the Flit?" he asks Dubnoom.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:53:09 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Dubnoom is unfamiliar." He nods to himself, however, at the logic of living somewhere that resembles a latrine. It's the last place anyone looks for you!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:53:14 PM] Gul Banana
who needs ladders when you have flying magic discs
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:56:18 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
He will, as a guest here, follow his guide on whatever path said guide takes. Also because a human shield isn't good for much if you aren't behind him.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:58:06 PM] Tak Ironflame
While Tak is eager to ply a trade and work with his hands again, it's important not to lose sight of the larger goals of the group. In this case: getting to know various experts in magical items, in hopes of eventually finding someone skilled and trustworthy enough to ask about the Orb (the evil one, not the fella one). With that in mind, which of these workshops suggests itself as most likely to lead to that goal? (Of course, it's always possible to meet more people later as he gets a reputation and starts networking, but he might as well try to get a head start.)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:58:40 PM] Nicolae
(in other words it's fine if none of them seem particularly geared (ha ha) towards that particular outcome for now)
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 6:59:06 PM] Dammitwho
Leal nods. "'Tis the favored pub of the Pathfinder Society. Their house haunt, if you like. Now, there's naught in the way of what you might call 'notice-board work' there - no hauling twelve rat tails back to be paid tuppence, that sort of thing - but if you can spin a tale of daring they'll welcome you. If'n you keep your ear to the ground there, they say you'll hear about almost everything and everyone in time. Do them favors, and even if you've no wayfinder of your own, they'll do you good in return."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:01:22 PM] Dammitwho
"If that's not to your liking, there's that Eudom Mansarian. Trade ambassador. Likes to use outsiders as couriers, so I've heard." Leal continues. "Trustworthy folk get asked to do more important things, same's everywhere."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:01:59 PM] Dammitwho
"Be that the sort of thing ye meant?" Leal asks, tapping his pipe against his boot to knock out old ashes.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:02:02 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Leal... I know where to find trustworthy folk. Trustworthy folk *advertise*."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:02:36 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"I aspire to be trustworthy myself. Ram Banaram would approve! But sometimes you need to cooperate with those who find no honour in the process."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:03:21 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Or the concept, famously."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:04:50 PM] Dammitwho
Hmm. The workshops in the Temple of Brigh are mainly interested in creating new wonders, not examining old ones - except, perhaps the Font of Failed Wonders.
Every failed prototype in the Gallery goes there to be stripped, studied, and honored. Run by an elderly gnome named Findlalory, assisted by the human twins Hetch and Prya.
Tak wouldn't get much chance to work with gun powder there, but there's nothing saying he has to stick with just the one workshop.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:06:05 PM] Dammitwho
Leal leans back for a moment, then laughs uproariously. Lindal remembers this about him - he was always a jolly fellow, even when buckling one's swashes.
"And here's me quietly cuttin' out the unsavory types, so as not to offend an upright young man!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:08:52 PM] Dammitwho
Ty, lounging like a... like a sexy cat, looks at Imran through half-closed eyes without turning his head when Imran boldly admits to being the cause of the Low Men problem. He doesn't seem displeased, although it's hard to tell.
"That should be no problem. I don't think we'll need your help exterminating anyone, but..." Hope says.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:09:16 PM] Dammitwho
"...we're at war." She finishes. "No we're not," Ty replies boredly. "It's not a real war."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:09:18 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
36
1d20 + 18 = 18 + 18 = 36
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:09:42 PM] Tak Ironflame
Look, those Low Men were already a problem. They just happened to coalesce their problematicity around Imran.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:10:09 PM] Gul Banana
this thing won't let me do a skill check for some reason...
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:10:22 PM] Gul Banana
ersatz Acrobatics: 35
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:10:45 PM] Imran Traveler
That's fine. To Ty: "If you need help waylaying, impeding, distressing, or otherwise doing dirt to Lictor Uro Adom, I am of course at the service of my Queen and her emissaries."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:11:18 PM] Dammitwho
? Banana you've rolled three acrobatics checks
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[7/17/2026, 7:11:22 PM] Dammitwho
do you not see your own rolls
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[7/17/2026, 7:11:26 PM] Crion
probably needs to refresh
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[7/17/2026, 7:11:33 PM] Crion
that is a client side Issue
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[7/17/2026, 7:11:54 PM] Dammitwho
(i've deleted the last two)
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[7/17/2026, 7:12:00 PM] Gul Banana
thank you ;_;
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:12:16 PM] Dammitwho
so, lindal has rolled a 36 to Acrobat
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[7/17/2026, 7:13:05 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal... does a handstand. "And if I weren't upright? Friend, I haven't time to learn the sailor's trade right now, but you can count on that changing."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:14:05 PM] Dammitwho
Hope: "How are you at polemic art? Or devotional work? Painting? Sonnets? Songwriting, acting?"
"Insulting limericks about Her Infernal Majestrix Queen Abroh gods I'm already bored saying it?" Ty adds.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:14:29 PM] Imran Traveler
"...I whittle."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:14:45 PM] Imran Traveler
"And sometimes I sing."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:18:19 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal's not too sure himself about the degree to which he's wheedling information out of the pirate as opposed to volunteering for something. Ultimately, he doesn't want to, you know, do wrong. That's not the plan! What he's getting at, to himself, is that his Spirits of Justice, and his own spirit of justice, define it quite differently to typical authority figures. In the vanara's short life, he's already learned that rules are oft-enough in the way of what's just that you better be prepared to evade them.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:18:28 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak considers the options. While it would be nice to find a trustworthy and experienced sage of magical devices in the first few days of arriving in Absalom, perhaps it would also be prudent to have patience. With that in mind, Tak decides that the Volatile Annex would be the workshop most immediately relevant to his skill set. He chats for a little while longer with Bryndak about dwarvish news, doings in Absalom, the latest discoveries in the Temple, and so on (though not the nasty business with the Skinsaws). After a half hour or so of pleasant conversation and socializing, he tips his hat, thanks Bryndak for his words and advice, and takes his leave.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:18:39 PM] Tak Ironflame
What's the Volatile Annex's setup like?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:18:45 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin climbs up the rope ladder, letting Dubnoom follow. "Behold, the Flit!" From the rooftop, Dubnoom can see what he's referring to. It's sparse up here at the edge of the Puddles district, but the Flit is a network of makeshift planks and broken railings lashed together with the near-infinite supply of old rope from the Docks to form bridges and platforms, creating a kind of wholly artificial neighborhood at the second story. Or higher - in the distance, at the heart of the district, Dubnoom can see an increasing density of ropes and catwalks, forming in some places entire multi-story areas where people pass over, under, and around each other.
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[7/17/2026, 7:19:06 PM] Dammitwho
Men sleeping in an inn made entirely of a spiderweb of rope-lines. Incredible!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:20:39 PM] Dammitwho
"There's where we're headed - the Pyramid of the Dog." He coughs and clears his throat. "Sorry. The Pyramid of the Dog." He points off into the distance, where Dubnoom can see a three-sided pyramid of smooth, blank, black stone, with crumbling towers of more contemporary construction at each corner.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:22:20 PM] Dammitwho
Tak! Roll Engineering!
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[7/17/2026, 7:26:49 PM] Dammitwho
Leal counts on his fingers (even the stubby almost-missing one). "You might'n try the Barque Bazaar, then. Down Puddles, the master name of Annavi is always looking for quickfolk who're broad-minded as to ownership."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:28:09 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Majestic...not doglike at all." In slight awe. "Very smartly made Flit! Well done." Like Nedwin did it or something.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:28:27 PM] Dammitwho
Hope: "Ideological wars are still wars, especially when there's still bloodshed!". Ty makes a dismissive noise. To Imran, she asks: "Do you know much about the Asmodean creation myth?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:28:54 PM] Tak Ironflame
23
1d20 + 11 = 12 + 11 = 23
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:29:31 PM] Nicolae
do i get to know what i'm rolling against...
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[7/17/2026, 7:29:34 PM] Crion
can imran roll religion here
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[7/17/2026, 7:29:56 PM] Crion
because i do not know shit about the asmodean creation myth, as crion
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:31:59 PM] Dammitwho
Leal's second finger. "If you go and sit in the Grog Pit and buy a few rounds, you'll be pointed to work sure enough." Third finger (almost entirely cut off by a lashing rope). "There's a fine fellow up the Grand Bazaar named Yggwil - he's a junk shop that's only somewhat a junk shop, if you follow me, eh?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:32:09 PM] Dammitwho
Crion: you may
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:32:25 PM] Dammitwho
lol
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[7/17/2026, 7:32:29 PM] Crion
oh come on.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:32:34 PM] Crion
petitioning for a hero point.
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[7/17/2026, 7:32:45 PM] Gul Banana
one
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[7/17/2026, 7:32:48 PM] Imran Traveler
1d20 + 11
1d20 1 1
12
1d20 + 11
1d20 2 2
23
1d20 + 11 + 10 = 2 + 11 + 10 = 23
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:32:58 PM] Dammitwho
sorry, you should have had one at the start of this sesh
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:32:58 PM] Gul Banana
two
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[7/17/2026, 7:32:59 PM] Crion
incredible bants
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:33:07 PM] Nicolae
he's holding out for a hero, and in honor of bonnie tyler's passing, you should let him have it,
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:33:27 PM] Nicolae
oh you did before i finished phrasing and typing my joke. i will not apologize
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[7/17/2026, 7:33:31 PM] Dammitwho
fortunately, these are not difficult rolls, and both tak and imran pass
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:34:25 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"I do follow! Nothing wrong with ownership, but like any social construct it needs adjustment to time and tide. Thank you, purser."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:34:27 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Tide... "I hope crew're doing well. Would you mind passing on my fond regards? Not to Seppo though." The cabinboy regarded the ex-captive Lindal as competition, and they did not get along.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:35:50 PM] Dammitwho
Tak notices that the Volatile Annex is built somewhat structurally separate from the rest of the Temple, with blowout walls (that is to say, walls designed not to hit any major supports if they're torn free) and a sand roof (a roof that, if its bottom is destroyed, dumps pounds of sand on everything below). Evidently a place set up for disastrous failures.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:37:02 PM] Dammitwho
Ilka Marchen is an Irriseni human, scarred and notably eyebrowless - she appears to paint them on with bronze. Burbidge is a very dapper looking older goblin with an immaculate gentleman's hat and a waistcoat.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:39:39 PM] Tak Ironflame
Well, sometimes you do get those with alchemical work. It's good to see that they have the proper safety precautions. Promising!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:40:38 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"This pyramid...is it made of ash of dog bone?" He says optimistically, seeing it now.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:43:50 PM] Dammitwho
The story of the creation of the universe, as told by the Asmodeans, condensed: Asmodeus was one of, if not the first, self-willed entities to exist in the unformed chaos before time. Together with Pharasma and others of the most ancient gods, he set out to name, measure, order and instruct the newborn universe, as well as the tiny motes of quintessence that would come to be called mortal souls. Asmodeus had a brother named Ihys. They were the First.
Ihys bestowed free will upon mortal souls, sowing (in the Asmodean telling) chaos and destruction which devastated Asmodeus. Ihys believed that good nonetheless came from free will, and opposed Asmodeus - thus there was war.
The war ended with Asmodeus slaying Ihys, but as a last act of respect for his brother, he allowed Ihys' dream to stand. He then built Hell as an example and a warning.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:44:58 PM] Dammitwho
This story is not generally accepted outside the Asmodean church, although creation myths vary widely and some do resemble the Asmodean telling (albeit from a different perspective).
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:45:09 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran, then, slightly smirks and slightly grimaces at Hope's question. "Yes. The winners write the history books, as they say. At least for themselves."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:46:22 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin leaps and hustles across rickety catwalks, taking Dubnoom further in to the Puddles. "Not that I've ever heard! Would you mind saying that it is though? Like affirmatively, as a magical expert?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:46:51 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom narrows his eyes. Does it seem, in any way, magical?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:48:50 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak approaches the Volatile Annex -- he sees now why it's called the Annex -- and heads towards whichever of Ilka Marchen or Burbidge appears to be most in a suitable situation to greet newcomers.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:49:46 PM] Gul Banana
it also seems apparent why it's called volatile
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:50:21 PM] Dammitwho
"Sure and I'll tell them." Leal nods agreeably. "All the lads will be pleased to hear from you I'm sure. Except Seppo." He startles, and leans in close to Lindal. "I almost forgot!" He whispers. "You didn't hear this from me - you might also look to Killick's Corner up near the Grand Bazaar, aye?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:51:33 PM] Dammitwho
Dubnoom: the stone is perfectly cut and fit together in a way it's hard to imagine nowadays. At least you think so, you're still some distance off. But it doesn't really seem *magical*, as to say enchanted, as such. But maybe Nedwin doesn't care?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:52:46 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
He nods. "It is finely crafted in a way that Dubnoom could never imagine crafting himself. It is beyond the realm of imagination."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:54:39 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal raises his eyebrows, which is to say he lowers them. Belatedly, he flips back to a standing position. "Seems I might! I've been staying near the big bazaar anyway. Hard to imagine that there was once even more commerce engaged-in therein."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:55:46 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Maybe rock elves did it." He postulates based on absolutely nothing but vibes.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:56:15 PM] Gul Banana
the ancient ruins of a far-less enlightened civilisation
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:57:22 PM] Dammitwho
Hope: "We're presenting an alternate history. Nothing Iomedaean - something for sincere yet incredibly decadent noble followers of the church of Asmodeus to get into, and really piss off the orthodox. Stop me if you've heard this one - an empyrean lord of Heaven, in service to a mighty yet harsh god of good in ancient days traveled the Great Beyond. He found an enigmatic land, a shadow of Heaven, and learned to commune with it, blah blah blah, he's unjustly cast out and thrown to the uttermost Pit. Very sympathetic."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:58:59 PM] Dammitwho
She walks over to one of the larger paintings on the wall and gestures to it. "We're having a lot of works made along those lines and smuggling them into Cheliax. If all goes well, we'll have something halfway between a purge and a holy civil war within a few decades."
"It's a very good likeness, but can you believe she made me a brunette?" Ty asks.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 7:59:01 PM] Dammitwho
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Alexandre_Cabanel_-_Fallen_Angel.jpg/1280px-Alexandre_Cabanel_-_Fallen_Angel.jpg
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:00:35 PM] Gul Banana
now there's an artist who had studied their subject
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:01:17 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin's eyebrows shoot up. "Made of dog ash, you say?! Constructed by a lost civilization of rock elves? Thank you for getting us closer to the truth, source close to the issue!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:02:05 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran chuckles grimly. "I have heard that. Both in the way you mean and as a light, happy mirror of Zon-Kuthon."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:02:13 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Who can say!" He throws up his hands. Who can, indeed.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:02:51 PM] Imran Traveler
To Ty: "Needs must."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:04:52 PM] Imran Traveler
To Hope: "A good plan, and a reasonable timetable. It'll need to be shepherded and supplemented, but all good plans share that. Clumsy whittled idols and whistles likely cannot contribute...but that is not what I bring to the table for my Queen."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:05:36 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin increases his speed, and Dubnoom is able to follow - soon you're close to the black Pyramid. An opening on its side leads inward, guarded by two goblins in armor standing queasily on swaying rope-lines. "Halt!"
"Oh, come on, are we doing this?" asks Nedwin. "You're not ever going to tell someone not to come in."
"We might!" insists one of the goblins.
"Ooo, new lad." says the other one, looking at Dubnoom. "'Ere for the Squabbles, then?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:07:38 PM] Dammitwho
Ilka is, at the moment, very carefully pouring a thick, glutinous mixture into a vessel from a flask held in a pair of tongs. It's Burbidge that greets Tak, then: "Hallo, sir. A very good day to you, I'm sure. What can we do for you?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:11:25 PM] Dammitwho
Ty mutters "I bet." Hope ignores him, and says "Don't undersell yourself, but either way - the Hellknights are pissed, and inclined to spread it around with a big shovel." She grins viciously. "It's not that the story's true, you understand. Nobody cares about that, least of all the viewing public. It's romantic. Paracounts and members of the striving Cheliaxian middle class alike are viewing the Dark Prince with *sympathy*. With *melancholy* and *pity*!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:12:20 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Dubnoom is here to witness and learn from your glorious Flit and city and pyramid without dogs, friends."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:12:22 PM] Dammitwho
"So, uh, let's see. Safehouse, orb examination... do you and yours need anything else? Blessing? Words of divine comfort slash solace?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:13:34 PM] Dammitwho
Leal chuckles. "To be sure. Come back and see an old seadog if he can be of any more help to you, aye?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:14:55 PM] Imran Traveler
Those are not necessarily the emotional reactions that Imran would guess the portrait was supposed to engender. The striations on Tymodeus's flank up to his abs and then to his shoulders say as much. What it is, Imran notes with a wryness, is very Nocticulan. "I would like a blessing, but my compatriots are very happy to go without."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:16:06 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak tips his hat in greeting. "A good day to you as well. My name is Tak Ironflame, originally of Dongun Hold. I'm looking for work, and have experience in alchemy, gunsmithing, and engineering. Is there work to be found here in the Annex?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:20:49 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"I will, although I still think 'seadog' should be what we call sea lions. For now, Ram Banaram and I leave you to master your whittling!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:22:28 PM] Dammitwho
The guardgobs pause at Dubnoom's response. They whisper to each other - Dubnoom catches snatches like "a wizard! a wizard!" before they straighten up again. "ENTERRRRRRR!" The two goblins shout mostly in unison, moving their polearms so they no longer block Dubnoom and Nedwin's path.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:22:58 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal repeats four sets of names subverbally, memorising the leads. But first, while he's down here, to find the Butterfly.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:23:00 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
IN FACT.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:23:33 PM] Dammitwho
Hope nods. "Go and kneel in front of the sacred statue."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:23:51 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
If our other nautical friends' ship is visible or locateable via the harbourmaster's rolls, Lindal's going to buy some buns and fruits to deliver to the crew there as a gift of thanks. The journey could've been much worse if it was slightly worse.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:25:23 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran takes a step towards the statue, hesitates, then takes off his shield and sword and sets them aside.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:25:30 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Dubnoom is NO wizard." He stands up a little straighter, combs his fingers through his fake beard, straightens his hat, and oh I see what you mean. Carry on. Dubnoom follows Nedwin in.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:25:56 PM] Imran Traveler
Then he kneels.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:27:23 PM] Dammitwho
Burbidge: "I should bally well say so, sir! It's just the Provost and myself, and I dare say the poor dear could use someone else handling the quickfuses! Not to be churlish at offered aid, sir, but when you say experience... might I ask where you trained?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:32:27 PM] Dammitwho
Hope stands behind Imran and places her hands on his shoulders. "The past weighs heavy on us all, but we do not forget it. Each step forward lessens the pain of past mistakes. So it was for Her, so it is for us all." She mutters a few phrases in Celestial, and Imran feels a warmth flowing through his body.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:32:51 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak nods. "In Dongun Hold and in Alkenstar City, out east." He draws his clan pistol with a small flourish and presents it, stock-first, for Burbidge to examine. "Made this myself. As well as the ammunition," he says, opening his jacket a bit to show his stash. "And some alchemy-based explosives, but I thought it would be prudent to not bring them into the temple."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:34:24 PM] Dammitwho
"Mercy, like all arts, is a gift." Hope concludes.
NOCTICULA'S BLESSING
Once, when Imran spares an enemy who then ceases to fight, he regains a small measure of vitality and sheds one lingering fear or doubt (remove the frightened condition, or take a +1 to his next save against a mental effect).
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:38:05 PM] Dammitwho
The Butterfly is indeed listed in the Harbormaster's Grange as under repair (you haven't been in Absalom that long), and gives Lindal a docking number. He can swing by a dockside stall and visit, if he's a mind.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:39:34 PM] Imran Traveler
"Lys for Dronningen, lys for kunsten, lys for sværdet," Imran says quietly in Nidalese. When Hope retreats, he stands.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:43:35 PM] Dammitwho
Dubnoom enters the chilly stone halls of the Pyramid of the Dog, following Nedwin by the flickering light of lines of torches (and the occasional stolen streetlamp-globe). He emerges in the stands of a large central arena, three-sided like the pyramid itself. The tunnels have put him out at midway up the stands, and so he can see all three sides. On one, to Dubnoom's left, goblins are dressed in noble finery - elaborate gowns and suits, tall wigs, aristocratic bearing. Somewhat jumbled up and tattered though. They only seem to have gotten the spirit of the thing, not the letter. There's a miniature orchestra of three goblins playing discordantly, one on a violin, another a clarinet, and a third going absolutely HAM on a squeezebox.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:44:35 PM] Dammitwho
At the top, pursed lips, insanely tall wig with several crowns stuck in it, an array of drinks and treats and delicacies near her black stone box seat - "Six Duchesses" Grimbleshanks.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:45:00 PM] Dammitwho
The arena must be divided in three by goblin, uh, faction or ideology or whatever it is you guys have.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:48:50 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal will drop by the Butterfly to say hello, in a sufficiently abstract greeting as to not consume more of the GM's time (unless there's something particular for which they'd like to use the hook).
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:49:09 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He may be annoying, but he can be considerate at times.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:51:57 PM] Dammitwho
To Dubnoom's right, the Goblindustrialists have taken their seats. Live fast and don't die ever is their motto - sharply dressed in the most modern styles, flashily showing off their wealth and their latest automata. At the top, a curiously yellow-skinned goblin with hair! Blonde, exquisitely coiffed, wearing dark sun-glares which seems kind of insane in this darkened arena but he doesn't seem to mind. A muscular beastwoman in ragged furs stands to his side, glaring about and holding a two-handed sword.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:52:06 PM] Dammitwho
H. Rolf Pujoma of the Pujoma Group!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:52:25 PM] Gul Banana
good
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:52:36 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom rages to the squeezebox. Music is about how much it moves the spirit, and how much the spirit moves the music. In his head, badadadababaababdbaadadadadada. Externally: He loses his hat, and scrambles to reclaim it. Composure! "Exquisite!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:54:31 PM] Dammitwho
Across from Dubnoom on the far side of the arena, cowled figures scurry about dark business indeed. Flashes of sickly green light and evil-looking flames burst now and again from the mystical-looking goblins, a few angrily waving staves at one another. Off to one side a clutch of the goblin mysticists are engaging in some sort of chant, which sounds eldritch except that it has lyrics, one of which appears to be a bellowed "WE LOVE CASTING SPELLS!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:55:30 PM] Dammitwho
A pale, thin goblin sneers down at his compatriots from behind his scrying orb. Thus: Merrow Bonehaver, Shadow Ensorcerer of the Sages of Darkness or Fire!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:56:45 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Does Dubnoom recognize the principals, by their reputations at least?
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 8:58:14 PM] Dammitwho
"Lucky we made in time." Nedwin notes. "The Squabbles haven't started yet."
Dubnoom might recognize his 'aunt' if he's ever seen her before. H. Rolf. Pujoma he's heard of by reputation - the goblin bakery near the Gilded Goblet had dealings with him. Merrow Bonehaver Dubnoom might have heard of as a spellcaster of great power, but he's never seen him personally.
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 9:00:32 PM] Dammitwho
A goblin noble near Dubnoom chitters, mouth open wide full of jagged teeth. "You fresh-new here, dear boy? Not look-see Squabbles?"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 9:02:03 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Correct! He looks at the noble and points at Nedwin. "The tallman leads Dubnoom here. What are the Squabbles?" He leans in closer to the noble. "And how powerful is H. Rolf Pujoma, to have taken such a striking bride? She will surely bear him strong, large sons. Big teeth."
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 9:06:14 PM] Dammitwho
The incredibly cultured and well-bred goblin leans in to Dubnoom. "Squabbles is best-best! Outside we have to be nice-good around the tall-tall humans! Diplomacy! Standards! Manners! Tradition!
Here we go ape-ape shit!"
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 9:07:19 PM] Dammitwho
Dubnoom will see goblins go ape, Tak will begin work at the Volatile Annex, Lindal will visit the Butterfly, and Imran will receive vital aid from the church of Nocticula... NEXT WEEK!
---------------------------
[7/17/2026, 9:07:20 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom's eyes go wide. The impossible dream of Getting Real.