S1 Ep2: Paper Chase

[00:00:37] Speaker A: Good evening and welcome to Hollowed Haven Studios. Tonight, we begin our vampire. The Masquerade 20th edition chronicle the Chicago Chronicles with episode Two Paper Trails. If this is your first time watching us, welcome. If you're a returning guest, welcome back. It's really good to see you again. A note on safety. The Chicago Chronicles is a story which, like with most stories here on HHS, will scenarios and sensitive topics. Each of the players and guest stars you may see appearing in this and in future episodes, have completed a session zero Teller virons. We are aware of each other's lines and veils and will be respecting them throughout this Chronicle. If at any point you do not feel comfortable with a topic, we encourage you to step back and take care of your mental health. Before we begin our story, we have a couple of announcements. The fourth season of our weekly talk show After Dawn has begun rolling out to be available to the public on our YouTube channel. But these episodes are already a month old by time they hit there. If you want to keep up with them in real time, you'll have to subscribe to our patreon at the five dollar tier, where you'll also be able to see previews of character art, vote on in game events, listen to postgame discussions, and even apply to be a guest star on an upcoming show. We also want to wish Alrigo happy birthday, so be sure to give him some love both on the Twitch and on the Discord. Now, without further, they're just remember that after the video after the video, we'll begin the introductions. [00:02:30] Speaker B: Sorry, which goes Anarch or loserist? Gr jazzy Jimmy Legacy and me. This time keep it a little bit shorter. We already have an introduction. We already have a little bit of an idea of who the characters are. This is just for my sake, for podcast stuff. [00:02:45] Speaker A: Thank you. I would just keep it to hi, I'm Blank. I'm your clan. So, like, hi, I'm playing. I'm Lexi. I'm playing the Toriador. [00:02:56] Speaker B: Yeah, also during your whole spiel. I'm so glad I muted because I let out like a really fucking big burp. [00:03:21] Speaker A: Byron says music always has me dancing like an idiot at my chair. [00:03:26] Speaker B: You should listen to the actual podcast song. It's great. It's so good. A little nervous because my Twitch is not showing the actual trailer. [00:03:42] Speaker A: Wait, what? [00:03:43] Speaker C: Likewise. [00:03:48] Speaker D: Wasn'T either, but I just had to refresh. [00:03:50] Speaker B: How it's Cameron. [00:04:33] Speaker E: Hi, I'm Narco, and I'll be playing the. [00:04:39] Speaker D: I'm gr. And I'll be playing Malkavian Warren. [00:04:45] Speaker C: Hi, my name is Jazzy and I'll be playing the Asamite. [00:04:50] Speaker D: Hello there. My name is Jimmy and I'll be playing Ren the gangrel. [00:04:57] Speaker A: Hi. I'm Legacy, and I'll be playing Margot, the Toriodor. [00:05:02] Speaker B: And I am Virans. Your storyteller for the evening. I had a focus on our Twitch stream thing. I need to say my bad, people, welcome to Chicago again, the Windy City we opened today again at the Secularist Club. Even with the events that had happened at the club a couple days ago, life for the mortal and the other kindred seemed to go on. Nothing has really openly happened regarding the stance of the Crimson Council other than what was known to happen at the party. Above in the catwalk sit, some kindred watching down below seems to be stalking out the kind or perhaps staying out of sight as needed, as the club is full of mortals and dancers. Then, for one reason or another, our cast or group of kindred sitting as a group at a table on the second floor, watching the dance floor down below. Or perhaps the DJ and the dancers on hanging platforms. A little bit of a chance to role play before I fully kick things into gear for tonight. [00:06:23] Speaker E: Thought fully in here. Foley are in here tonight. [00:06:29] Speaker A: Of course, it's just one of her more normal nights, especially after what happened the other day. I can only imagine that she's been dying to get things back to some form of decency. [00:06:48] Speaker C: Do you know everybody here? How many strangers usually show up here? [00:06:57] Speaker A: That's a nightclub, I guess. Depends on the night. [00:07:05] Speaker C: It's a nightclub under the masquerade, isn't it? [00:07:08] Speaker A: But it's still a nightclub nonetheless. The people here are bread. And how Annabelle likes to scoop out her next talent. [00:07:27] Speaker C: I don't like it here. Too many eyes. [00:07:33] Speaker A: That's just Chicago, honey. There are eyes everywhere in Chicago. [00:07:41] Speaker D: Yep. Even the least expected places. [00:07:50] Speaker B: As you guys are talking, a young man shuffling daggering up to your table has ripped jeans and a ratty T shirt on him, and his eyes are ever so slightly glazed over. And he puts down a package. A guy told me to give this to you guys. What guy? A guy told me to give this to you guys. [00:08:25] Speaker A: Okay. What guy? [00:08:28] Speaker B: Who? He looks very stuck in his own mind, thinking of other things inside his own head. Kind of repeats the same thing again, kind of then just begins to walk away. If you give him if there's a pause. [00:08:56] Speaker A: I'm going to let him go. [00:08:59] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:09:00] Speaker B: And he's shambling. It's an unnatural walk. I will say that it's definitely strange. And again, I'm very preoccupied with his own head. But on the table is a package about the size of a small notebook. [00:09:20] Speaker E: I'm going to open it. [00:09:22] Speaker B: Yeah. You take off the brown paper and undo the string. You undo the string and take off the paper. And inside is a small notebook. It is a small notebook. It's very rich, dark leather. [00:09:39] Speaker E: I'm going to flip through the pages. [00:09:41] Speaker B: On the notebook, and as you do, all the pages are blank so far. And then a note falls out. [00:09:53] Speaker E: I'll grab that and read that, too. I didn't know there'd be so many layers. [00:09:58] Speaker B: So many layers. To this it says, dear friends, I will soon have an item in my possession. That considering your and in quotes, shall we say out of quotes, interesting background you may both find of greater value. This item is, in fact, a manuscript of great antiquity. I am as yet unable to confirm its province, but its creation would seem to date back to the 14th century. Its actual contents would seem to date back even further, perhaps to the pre biblical period. And then in brackets, it says, I apologize for being so circumspect, but you will understand my need for caution. Then, out of brackets, it says, this manuscript is described as the apocrypha to work with which I understand you are familiar. The Book of Nod. It's been expressed to me that this manuscript will be of inesteemable value to you and your search for Golkanda. The apocrypha will soon be available for purchase. When this transpires, I will once again make contact with you to inform you of the details. In the meantime, please accept this as a gift, that which would carry this note. Although, Amir Bagatel, I hope you will accept it as a token of respect in which I hold you. Yours truly, Dennis Herdin. Dennis Herdin, which is a name that you guys do not recognize. [00:11:45] Speaker E: Well, I don't see a return address on this, guys. Is this belong to any of you? [00:11:54] Speaker C: No, I don't recognize it, but I'm intrigued. The Book of not. [00:12:04] Speaker B: Do we have any way of knowing. [00:12:07] Speaker C: If it's at all genuine? [00:12:13] Speaker D: No idea. [00:12:17] Speaker E: I'm going to need one of you to clue me in. I don't know what half of those words meant. [00:12:23] Speaker D: Trust me, neither did I. Um. [00:12:32] Speaker A: I make a check to see if I can maybe decipher what this Book of Nod is. [00:12:41] Speaker B: I will give this for free to everyone. [00:12:46] Speaker D: Oh, my bad. [00:12:47] Speaker B: The Book of Nod is essentially the vampire Bible, and everyone is hunting after it. A lot of people hunt after it for Golkanda, which is essentially the state of being a vampire with none of the weaknesses of being a vampire. [00:13:06] Speaker C: It's also like vampire nirvana. [00:13:09] Speaker B: Yeah. And the Book of Nod is supposedly the Bible in the sense of that it teaches you how to get to that point. And if you need to know what an apocryphaea is, I can also say what that is. And that's just more of a real world thing of what an apocrypha is. [00:13:33] Speaker C: Do you mean apocrypha? [00:13:36] Speaker B: That's what I mean. Apocrypha. [00:13:44] Speaker E: Well, in that case, I don't know who this is supposed to go to. Well, I guess we have a name, but seems like the smart idea to go after it ourselves, right? [00:13:55] Speaker A: Is that the smart idea? [00:14:00] Speaker B: Given your given your anarch nature, jasper. So sorry. Given your anarch nature, Jasper, Anarchs are not too quite fond of the Book of Nod and do not believe it exists. [00:14:17] Speaker E: If for no other reason than to bash in the skull of whoever's grifting or otherwise peddling some nonsense. [00:14:24] Speaker A: Okay, pipe down rowdy boy. We don't need to bash in anybody's skull just quite yet. That's gross. And makes a mess. [00:14:40] Speaker C: This individual clearly knows who we are. It might not be too wise to make ourselves overt enemies of him. [00:14:54] Speaker A: The only problem is who is he? [00:14:58] Speaker D: Is there anything else in the book that would be of use? [00:15:04] Speaker B: There is not. [00:15:05] Speaker C: What language is it? [00:15:09] Speaker A: Sorry, no. [00:15:11] Speaker C: What language is it written in? Can anybody here read it? [00:15:14] Speaker B: English. The notes in English. The notebook is empty. [00:15:19] Speaker C: I see. So there's no information that we can glean from it. [00:15:26] Speaker B: Other than the fact that this note is from Dennis Herdin and was perhaps dropped off by a courier. Well, not perhaps, it was dropped off by a courier. Again, the courier had torn jeans, a ratty t shirt, the eyes were ever so slightly glossed over, and he seemed to be battling whatever demons were inside his own head while still being slightly present in reality. [00:16:04] Speaker E: I mean, we could chase after the guy, but something tells me he won't remember who sent him. [00:16:11] Speaker C: The only lead we have. [00:16:15] Speaker E: I'm going to get up and go run after the Earthwhile courier. [00:16:20] Speaker B: Yeah, he's shuffling downstairs. It looks uncomfortable and he's just kind of walking down. Unless you do anything. [00:16:36] Speaker E: Yeah, I'm gonna come up from behind and like, put my arm over his shoulder like we're good friends. [00:16:41] Speaker D: Hey, buddy. [00:16:42] Speaker A: You know, it's good to see you. [00:16:43] Speaker E: Where you been tonight? Ah, yeah man, we were expecting you a while ago, but you just showed up. Is everything all right? [00:16:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:59] Speaker E: What was going on, man? [00:17:05] Speaker B: Guy? [00:17:11] Speaker E: What guy? [00:17:14] Speaker B: Guy told me to give you the thing. [00:17:20] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, that thing. You know, we were wondering about that. We actually had a few questions for the guy. Do you know where he was? [00:17:27] Speaker A: And he was talking to you? [00:17:36] Speaker B: Can you give me perception? Occult. [00:17:42] Speaker E: Damn. That'll be difficulty six, raised to seven. Because I don't have any occult. Yeah, now because I don't really know how this game works. Spending a willpower gives you a success on a thing. [00:18:03] Speaker B: Correct? [00:18:05] Speaker E: I would like to do that. [00:18:07] Speaker B: Okay. [00:18:19] Speaker E: Sorry, I'm trying to use the right roller. Hang on. Is it? [00:18:27] Speaker B: Good question. Oh, we have the Zumitsu bought in. If you do slash mm. And then you type in your perception, which is for Jasper, is three, and then the difficulty, you do a space and do seven. That's your difficulty. And then you just press enter. [00:18:49] Speaker E: Perfect. Two successes for three with the willpower. [00:18:57] Speaker B: When we go into break, I will go over a tutorial of how to use this bot. I do quite like this bot. It was a lot easier, better for us anyway. With your three successes in total, you could tell that this guy is very obviously dominated and that his brain is probably more than fried from this domination as well. So whatever you're gonna you can't really get much of anything. [00:19:35] Speaker E: Based on, I guess. Vibes. Does he seem like he's wandering back to his master? Or he's just lost and doesn't know what to do with himself? [00:19:45] Speaker B: It's more on the lost and doesn't know what to do with himself side. Now, whoever gave him that goal burned it into his brain and kind of just removed everything else other than the basic functions of breathing and blinking occasionally and walking. [00:20:11] Speaker E: I remember earlier well, that seems like overkill pat the guy in the back and walked back to the coterie, so so, guys, I don't think he's going to be of any use. Whoever sent him absolutely scrambled the poor fucker, so he doesn't have much in him anymore. We could ask around, see if our contacts recognize the name. [00:20:49] Speaker A: Might be best start with the person who owns this place. See if Miss Annabelle has any idea who this what is his name again? [00:21:04] Speaker B: Dennis Harden. I will copy the text of the note as well and put that in our general channel for reference. Actually, sorry, I will put that in reference and announcements because that's what it is. It's a reference. [00:21:35] Speaker A: I think that it might be best to start with the people who are in this establishment, see if we can get any answers and then go from there. [00:21:48] Speaker E: Seems smart. Maybe he mistook you for Annabelle or something. [00:21:54] Speaker A: She looks at her brunette hair and then thinks about Annabelle's blonde hair. Yes. Obviously we look very much alike. [00:22:02] Speaker E: He didn't have much going on behind. [00:22:04] Speaker A: His oh, that is fair. That is fair. [00:22:12] Speaker C: I second consulting Annabelle. This seems to be the exact sort of thing that the Camarilla would be interested in. And I am loyal to the Camarilla and have nothing to hide from them. [00:22:31] Speaker A: You give me such reasonable doubt. [00:22:37] Speaker D: Yes, I was about to say the same thing. [00:22:40] Speaker E: People keep asking me a lot of questions answered by my the Camaria can trust me T shirt. [00:22:50] Speaker C: Um, let's just say I it's a translation error. I'm not familiar with your language yet. [00:23:04] Speaker B: Um, as you make your you guys have this conversation, as you make your way up to her office on the third floor, which is very close to where the events were before. And as you knock and let yourself in because you don't hear anything, so you assume it's fine. She kind of looks up at you guys and goes like, what do you want. [00:23:39] Speaker A: Annabelle? A couple of questions we got. Getting a bit of a package from a courier. We were wondering if you might be able to enlighten us on the on a particular gentleman. [00:24:11] Speaker B: Tucks in on her teeth a little bit, goes, who might that be? [00:24:22] Speaker A: Do you know anybody by the name of Dennis Herdon? [00:24:33] Speaker B: Yes, I do. [00:24:39] Speaker A: Wonderful. We got this. Where's the package? She will turn around to who she'll turn to whoever had the package last. [00:24:55] Speaker B: I'll extend it because Margo doesn't carry her own stuff. [00:25:00] Speaker A: Yeah, Margot's too hot to carry things by herself. Okay. But she'll grab the book and hand it over to Annabelle. We got a bit of a package and notice from a Dennis Hurdon, and we don't quite know who he is or why he reached out to us. We thought that it might have been trying to go to you, considering that this is your nightclub, and figured we'd make you aware. [00:25:42] Speaker B: No. Whoever delivered it probably meant it for you. But give it to me. Let me look. [00:25:50] Speaker A: Mutual. Hands off. [00:26:17] Speaker B: It. Stares at it, and her how do I describe this? She kind of blinks a few times and goes, interesting. Well, get out of here. [00:26:41] Speaker E: She's trying to keep it. [00:26:43] Speaker B: Yes, she is trying to keep the item. [00:26:52] Speaker D: Now. [00:26:56] Speaker E: Margot. [00:27:05] Speaker A: Yes. And Annabelle, we kind of need that back. [00:27:21] Speaker B: The general. Okay. She kind of looks back at you, Margot. She goes, My daughter. My dear daughter. No, you gave it to me. And frankly, this is a little above your above your pay grade, I believe. Now, I can send you out as agents to go work on it, but then you're gonna have to report back to me. Do you want to do that? [00:28:12] Speaker A: I do that anyway. [00:28:15] Speaker E: Yeah, but here's the point. Margot apologies for speaking about you like you aren't here. Annabelle, I don't. [00:28:26] Speaker C: I would be happy to I volunteer to be Annabelle's agent. [00:28:30] Speaker B: She stares at Jasper, and she goes, I was not talking to you or anyone that affiliates themselves with your group. She looks back at everybody else, very obviously, kind of ignoring Jasper ignoring the presence of Jasper now and then. Kind of goes, well, this what I said. What? Right. Soraya that's what I said before. [00:29:11] Speaker C: Yes, madam. [00:29:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Now, I could assign you to work with Bargo. You want to do that? [00:29:29] Speaker C: I would be honored. [00:29:32] Speaker B: Wonderful. She looks jimmy, you red. The one who saved my tire and pushed me. [00:29:45] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:29:45] Speaker B: Want to work for me? [00:29:49] Speaker D: Well, it had been having a tri spell job, so why not? [00:30:01] Speaker B: You work under that one, and she'll point to soraya but I work under her, and then she'll work under Margot. Margot reports back to me, and if I have any shred of doubt about what you tell me, Margot, because this of utmost importance, I'm going to then question your friend here. She points to Saria, and I have the feeling she'll tell me the truth just out of fear. And then she'll look to Warren. Now, you you're gonna work with Margot. Same level. You're gonna report directly back to me, as well. And then she'll point to Jasper. You do whatever you want. [00:31:12] Speaker E: Thank you. [00:31:16] Speaker B: Did not need it. Did not ask for it. I was just telling you to do what you do best ignore us. [00:31:30] Speaker E: I go ahead and leave the room. I'll find everybody else in a second. [00:31:35] Speaker B: And she'll look to the author. She'll be happy. Well, I need every single each and one of you to track down this book, tell no one else about it. And I mean that. She looks deadly serious at that when she says that. To tell no one else, nobody. Dennis Herdin. I can tell you that he's in his forty s and he is well. [00:32:29] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:32:32] Speaker B: It that's kind of all I can get. [00:32:37] Speaker A: Do you at least have a location where we can start pressing around for. [00:32:43] Speaker B: I have never really heard this name before, but I'm able to touch the spirit of this book and of this paper that's frankly all I can get. He's in his mid 40s. His name is Dennis Harden. Has a bit of a lavender and a bit of a lavender and dark red aspect to it. And he was trying to be very discreet even while writing the note, more or less just trying to show that he was looking for the financial gain, but was still wary of the fact that someone else could get the note. That's it, everybody out. I have work to do. And then she mutters under her breath, enough for Warren to hear through enough for Warren to hear through his Auspics. And I'm just going to give this to him for his Auspects to fix what happened at my party. And then she shoes you away and gets back down to your paperwork. [00:34:36] Speaker D: By chance, would I have also heard that due to acute senses? [00:34:41] Speaker B: Yes, you probably would have heard that too, actually. [00:34:43] Speaker D: Okay, all right, that's good to know. So we don't have much to go on. [00:35:01] Speaker A: No, we don't. And if we're not allowed to talk to anybody about it, I don't quite know how she expects us find any information. [00:35:13] Speaker B: Okay. [00:35:17] Speaker C: Well, it looks like from what little we know that this Dennis fellow wants to be found. He did send us a package, after all. [00:35:31] Speaker B: It. [00:35:36] Speaker D: Where we would even start. [00:35:43] Speaker A: I mean, we could try the Yellow Pages first, see from EV. We can look them up by name and address. That might be our best place to start. Or maybe even see if we can at least find like a phone number and go to Payphone, see if we can give him a call. [00:36:15] Speaker D: That's pencil even local. [00:36:22] Speaker A: If he had somebody come out, even mind controlled, I can't imagine that he's too far from here. [00:36:33] Speaker D: Fair. [00:36:36] Speaker B: Warren. You hear faint whisper. Well, not a whisper here's something over the speakers and it goes through. It agrees. It says, in a slight, ethereal, almost snake like voice and goes, yes, yellow. [00:37:08] Speaker A: Records. [00:37:13] Speaker C: Oh, hello. [00:37:14] Speaker D: There would be a good place to start. [00:37:21] Speaker B: That was just Warren's character. That hurt. [00:37:24] Speaker D: That can't figure that sorry. [00:37:28] Speaker B: No, you're good. And yeah, sorry. No, go ahead. [00:37:45] Speaker D: So you think the Yellow Pages will be the best place to look? [00:37:50] Speaker B: Warren? [00:37:52] Speaker D: I think, yeah. Annabelle had a very good guess. Something tells me that'll be the place to look. [00:38:04] Speaker E: So the Yellow Pages, is it? [00:38:07] Speaker A: Yes, let's see if we can just go pick one up at a convenience store. Might be our best bet. [00:38:17] Speaker B: You very easily do. You spend a few minutes walking to the nearest one. It's not very far. There's a convenience store near the club just for the purpose of it's a good place to make a little bit of money, get people who are going home after the club closes at 04:00 a.m. Who are trying to keep that party going but are going to go home and do those flight shots that are just terrible. And you pick up the yellow pages for a few bucks. You flip through and you do find a few. You find about three or four herdins and about five or ten five to ten Dennis's in there, but they don't really have any addresses on them. [00:39:16] Speaker A: Okay. Well, I think that it might be best if we start from the herdin, considering that they go in alphabetical order by last name and then into first. Do we pick up a Dennis Ferdin anywhere? [00:39:37] Speaker B: Yeah, there's like two of them in there. The dentist is spelt differently. That's kind of the only differentiation other than the phone number part. And the first one you call, he kind of let's say it's about 10:00 P.m., and he picks up, goes like, yeah, I'll work in the morning. What's up, Charlie? [00:40:08] Speaker A: Sorry, wrong number. She'll hang up. That one had to work in the morning. That one was obviously asleep. [00:40:20] Speaker B: And the next one you call, it's not in service. Actually, that one's not in service. Call the other guy. [00:40:33] Speaker D: I think you might have been waiting for a long time, so I think let's try this again. [00:40:38] Speaker A: Oh, you want to call him again? [00:40:40] Speaker D: Yeah, why not? [00:40:41] Speaker A: Okay. He's going to call you by the name of Charlie, and apparently he has to work in the so. [00:40:50] Speaker B: He picks up him and goes like, why? Who is it now? Is this actually Charlie? Something wrong at the store? [00:40:59] Speaker D: Yes, something is very wrong at the store. The pipe broke again. [00:41:09] Speaker A: Are you prank calling this man? [00:41:12] Speaker E: What do you mean? [00:41:14] Speaker A: Is your refrigerator open or is your refrigerator running? You better go catch it. [00:41:19] Speaker B: Who's that in the background? [00:41:26] Speaker D: What's his thing? Just go to get back up. Just going to be like. [00:41:32] Speaker C: Looking for a homer. Homer sexual. [00:41:45] Speaker B: The. [00:41:46] Speaker D: It. [00:41:57] Speaker B: A policeman kind of walks by as you guys are cracking these jokes, but also embarrassingly hanging up the phone and goes like, you guys all right? [00:42:08] Speaker A: We're fine, we're fine. We're just a little drunk. [00:42:12] Speaker E: We were just talking to our good friend bend over. [00:42:17] Speaker B: Arty har. And Warren, you hear crackle again? This is only Warren. Hear crackle and goes like I should have actually written down the phonetic alphabet for this one. No, it goes, Charlie 99 er something's happening at City Hall. Come here, Sawyer. Come here. [00:42:54] Speaker D: Warren's going to hurry to kind of steal. I'd assume this is like, some kind of payphone because it's the 90s. [00:43:04] Speaker B: You're hearing it over the police man's radio as he's walking by, and he, like, stops to check in and goes hardy hard. It is starting to walk off now. Um, mind you, as well, you do have your paranoia of police officers. [00:43:30] Speaker D: Nonetheless, his head is going to certainly perk up as he sort of starts to mull over, think about what he thought, what he thought he heard. [00:43:51] Speaker B: And there's some sort of, like, ethereal music. Margot coming around, and maybe the rest of the group hears it, maybe they don't. Acute senses will not apply here, I will say that. And it's in this dazed if music could be in a dazed, confused state of where to go, that is certainly it right now. It's very mimicking your emotions. [00:44:37] Speaker A: Interesting. Do you all hear that? [00:44:44] Speaker D: I do. [00:44:49] Speaker C: Oddly compelling. [00:44:50] Speaker B: Is it worth following now, the rest of you, the rest does hear this sort of confused music. It's this guy with this drum set a couple hundred feet away, and there's, like, this guitarist, or they're just, like, trying desperately to sync up, and it's just not happening right now. [00:45:23] Speaker E: Is it the same guy from outside of the club the other night? [00:45:28] Speaker B: No, these are two different ones. The guy who was outside the club the other night, it was after midnight last time you saw him. And you would probably gather that he's probably a little busy doing something else right now, but if he's come back at midnight, he could be there's. [00:45:52] Speaker A: Maybe. Is it might be worth to follow the music? [00:46:03] Speaker D: Can't hurt, but this is just weird. [00:46:09] Speaker A: Yes, it is bizarre that it happened twice. [00:46:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Margot, can you roll me? Just self control. This isn't for anything special. [00:46:31] Speaker A: This is nothing special. Just a self control roll. Okay. [00:46:36] Speaker B: Self control. You were the only one who needs to do this. [00:46:42] Speaker A: Even better. [00:46:44] Speaker B: What else has to do? [00:46:45] Speaker A: So excited. Got it. [00:46:52] Speaker D: Oh, no. [00:46:53] Speaker B: We do have the Zumitsi bot, so that shouldn't make things easier. I do believe you know how to use that. [00:47:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm just going to use the other one for now. [00:47:05] Speaker B: Okay. [00:47:05] Speaker A: Standard difficulty? [00:47:07] Speaker B: Yeah, standard. You only need one success. [00:47:14] Speaker A: Well, how about three? [00:47:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. You're good. You don't need to follow the music, but if you want to, you can. [00:47:26] Speaker A: I'm a performer. I got to follow music. [00:47:31] Speaker B: Are you going to try and help lead that band into some form of synchronization? [00:47:35] Speaker A: Of course. [00:47:36] Speaker B: Okay. [00:47:37] Speaker A: It's a nightmare to the ears. Okay. [00:47:44] Speaker B: Yeah. You walk over and you start singing, presumably. And what song would you start? That kind of gives a rhythm through voice. [00:48:04] Speaker A: God. [00:48:07] Speaker B: I'll even involve clapping at this point. To then lead into your song. [00:48:12] Speaker A: Sure. She'll probably try to guide them through Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac to kind of get them back on some form of rhythm, but have some air of mystery to it that it seems like they're trying to. [00:48:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:33] Speaker A: Go for. [00:48:36] Speaker B: As you do that, can. [00:48:41] Speaker A: You. [00:48:44] Speaker B: DeFore to charisma performance difficulty before you sub? Yes. And throw in that specialty too. [00:48:55] Speaker A: Heck yeah. [00:48:57] Speaker B: As you'll eventually go into singing. [00:49:01] Speaker A: Right. [00:49:16] Speaker D: It. [00:49:20] Speaker A: I am also going to spend a willpower to gain an auto success on this because this is just an absolute tragedy. [00:49:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. It really is. [00:49:51] Speaker A: Jesus, seven successes. [00:49:55] Speaker B: So, yeah, you start singing, they just like fully catch on and now they are in sync and they are playing along with you and you guys are just hitting every single thing perfectly and it is spectacular. And you have a crowd of people starting to actually come around now as well. And as you're playing, some people start putting change and some singles and there's like two fives in the guitar case. And as you finish up, an idea comes to mind for you. The county records might have this guy's name and might have an address the. [00:51:07] Speaker A: Moment that the music stops. [00:51:10] Speaker B: Sorry. While Margot is saying are the group of four just watching and listening and applauding along the I actually want to. [00:51:20] Speaker E: Pull Warren aside a little bit and have a little conversation with him since I have a past with him I don't have with the others about what we're doing here. [00:51:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:32] Speaker E: So I pull him off to you a little bit. We're going to speak a little quietly, trying to avoid being snooped on, but like, hey, man, I'm tagging along for this, but clearly after that interaction, I ain't doing it for Annabelle. How do you feel about maybe sort of, we'll say, working around this problem, selling the info or stealing it for ourselves or whatever? [00:52:01] Speaker D: I have no issue with that. I'm more in this out of curiosity than anything, by the way. Call it a hunch or I can't tell what this is, but I think we might have something around a city hall we might want to look into. [00:52:21] Speaker E: City hall? Let's keep that to ourselves, at least for right now. Or if these leads dry up because the others can't help us, I suppose. I don't know. I want to run this by Blackjack, see if we can't get a different angle. [00:52:40] Speaker C: Can I pull the anarch aside and try to have a conversation? [00:52:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Is this after he's had his little conversation before? [00:52:56] Speaker C: Sure. It doesn't particularly matter. [00:52:59] Speaker B: Okay. [00:53:03] Speaker D: Aside from our side. [00:53:05] Speaker A: Yes. [00:53:07] Speaker C: Hey, lads, listen, I don't know if you've been able to tell or not, but my loyalty to Annabelle is conditional, let's say, and I feel as though you might be of another mind as well. Now, there are a few things that I need which I'm not sure that the camarilla can provide, namely, you know, sanctuary from Ventrus. If you would be able to provide me safety and safety for other Asamite refugees in Chicago, I would be more than willing to turn a blind eye to whatever activities you might have. Planned or even assist you. [00:54:15] Speaker E: I sort of look over Soraya and Warren's shoulder now, Torre and to see if he's not listening. But I mean, I've got some holdings, and I'm sure Blackjack does too. Though I can't commit somebody else's stuff. Let me tell you this. If you want to help me get around, if you want to help me help myself here instead of giving it all to Annabelle, I'll see what I can do there. I have no particular feelings about the Acomites, but the people that are in charge of me might. But you'll have a friend in me if you want to help me out. [00:54:55] Speaker C: Excellent. Well, I am glad we can do business. [00:55:06] Speaker D: How much of that conversation might I have heard? Because I'm most likely still paying attention, but due to acute senses I just want to see if I would have pay attention if I would have heard some of that. [00:55:19] Speaker B: Yeah. Role perception alertness with your specialty. Difficulty seven. Just because of the crowd and the music going on. [00:55:30] Speaker D: Minus two because of acute senses with I'm just looking at acute senses. The difficulties for all tasks involving the use of this particular sense are reduced by two. [00:55:52] Speaker B: Yes. [00:55:57] Speaker A: One. [00:56:02] Speaker B: You're really good at hearing. [00:56:07] Speaker D: Perception 317. That will be seven successes. [00:56:36] Speaker E: Jesus. [00:56:40] Speaker D: I'm good at what I do. [00:56:44] Speaker B: You definitely heard all of the first conversation and pretty much up until the last two or three words of the second side conversation as the visa finishes up and everybody starts clapping. [00:57:03] Speaker D: All right. Not doing anything with that. Right. Just just wanted to know if I heard anything. [00:57:12] Speaker B: And then Margot finishes up and gets her idea. The county record off just in City Hall. [00:57:24] Speaker A: Nothing like a little bit of music to really get the brain flowing. I do have a suggestion of where we could possibly start. [00:57:40] Speaker C: Yes. [00:57:43] Speaker A: Of course. I mean, the most obvious place to start would be the county records at the City Hall. We might be able to pull up the information on this gentleman. If a phone number is not going to work, they definitely have his information, or at least a pinpoint of where this gentleman might be. Considering. Everybody's required to register with the City Hall seems smart. [00:58:14] Speaker E: He might have some fake names, but that's nothing we can't overcome, I'm sure. [00:58:23] Speaker D: Yeah, but might be. Is there anyone has into the City hall? [00:58:30] Speaker A: Oh, I think I might be able to get us in. Okay. [00:58:38] Speaker D: That lets out on overload. [00:58:47] Speaker B: Yeah, you make your way in. You guys make your way over to City Hall. How are you guys getting there? Are you going to go by a train again? [00:58:56] Speaker E: Sounds most convenient. [00:58:58] Speaker D: Yeah. Train. [00:59:01] Speaker E: Wait, we should be careful about trains. Unclear. I guess we're taking because of Drummond, but I'm not going to think about it that hard. [00:59:13] Speaker B: Yeah, you guys take public transportation with Fargo being the absolute most stunning outstanding person in that rail car. [00:59:25] Speaker A: It comes with the territory. [00:59:30] Speaker B: And you guys walk the last few bits to City Hall and Ren. [00:59:48] Speaker D: Yes. [00:59:49] Speaker B: This one is actually going to be difficulty seven. It is related to hearing, but it is still difficulty seven because the normal difficulty is going to be nine. I want you to roll perception Alertness again. [01:00:03] Speaker D: Okay. Perception alertness with specialty. [01:00:07] Speaker B: With your specialty. So it's noises again. Anyone who has Auspex and wants to activate it can also roll perception alertness. [01:00:21] Speaker D: Two successes this time. Oh, man, I need to go there. [01:00:33] Speaker B: Quite far away. You do hear you hear the faint whisks of a conversation going, that's them, right? Yeah, that's it. [01:00:54] Speaker E: Oh, shit. [01:00:59] Speaker B: Then I'll walk up into City Hall, the county record office. [01:01:08] Speaker D: Keeping my keeping my eyes and ears open and just keeping an eye out on everyone just because of what I just heard. Just scanning and seeing. Where did that come from exactly? Or is it just like it was. [01:01:29] Speaker B: Just somewhere really far behind you? [01:01:37] Speaker D: I just keep on walking forward and it was just trying to think of best way to convey that someone is like trying to follow us. I think Ren is just going to cock back his head slightly as if like not just like try to be signal, like maybe someone's following us. But that's just very subtle. Just I don't know if anyone's going to pick it up. It's just very hard for them. I don't know if they can hear us, that sort of thing. That's what I'm daring to convey at. [01:02:43] Speaker B: Least that you might be being followed. [01:02:48] Speaker D: Yeah, just like cock my head. Like, oh man, just like cocking my head back and be like I think someone might be like merging with my head, basically. Try to be like maybe someone's following us or something like that. It's hard to explain really. [01:03:14] Speaker B: Can you do. [01:03:17] Speaker D: Rent'S? Very good at working alone, not very good at relaying messages subtly. [01:03:24] Speaker B: Can you do charisma and expression for that? [01:03:29] Speaker D: Yeah. That's going to be difficulty, I'm guessing. [01:03:33] Speaker A: Ten, is that correct? [01:03:34] Speaker B: No, it's going to be standard, but since you don't have expression, it's step seven. [01:03:43] Speaker D: Step seven, okay. That is a failure. [01:03:50] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:51] Speaker B: You're just kind of like throwing your head back and I would presume that no one else in the group really pays much attention to it other than the fact that you might have like a little crick. [01:04:01] Speaker D: That's pretty much it. That's what I figured would happen. [01:04:05] Speaker E: Spoken loudly and clearly. Hey, everything all right there, bud? [01:04:11] Speaker D: Yeah, everything is fine. Everything is fine. [01:04:19] Speaker B: Yeah. The person at the front desk looks up from their book in front of them and goes like, hello, what can I help you with? [01:04:43] Speaker C: Hi, we're looking for a particular file. [01:04:53] Speaker B: A point down. They point to the right and looks back down at their book and just kind of holds their arm there until they hear you leave. [01:05:13] Speaker A: You know, the the fact that the front desk security is just willy nilly. Letting us travel is honestly a little concerning. [01:05:25] Speaker D: I will agree on that. [01:05:30] Speaker A: I mean, I'm not going to knock it. [01:05:33] Speaker C: Mortals are always very confident in their security. They never really know what's lurking for them. [01:05:43] Speaker A: No, but this is the guy didn't even bother. Whatever. [01:05:53] Speaker B: You walk down the hall to your right and you see a door that says County Records. You open it and you see another person at a desk reading a different book. And they snap their head up, go like, oh, hi, how can I help you? [01:06:10] Speaker C: Hi, we're looking for somebody's records. Dennis something. [01:06:18] Speaker B: Sure. [01:06:19] Speaker A: Dennis Herdin. [01:06:21] Speaker C: Dennis Herdin. Thank you. [01:06:23] Speaker B: Yes. Let me look. And they get up and they kind of walk it to the back. It's going to be a few minutes before they return. [01:06:37] Speaker D: I am going to listen and hear if they are doing what they're saying or thoroughly, like, hey, they're looking for this person's name or anything like that. [01:06:51] Speaker B: You do hear the, like, opening of a drawer. Everybody hears an opening of a drawer. It's loud as hell and it squeaks and grinds. And then you hear, like, the flipping through pages. It goes like, no, maybe. [01:07:06] Speaker D: Okay. [01:07:10] Speaker B: And then they walk back and they're holding about, like, five different folders, and they're holding both arms. It's a little bit heavy and kind of just bailed it as goes here. [01:07:24] Speaker D: Oh, man. [01:07:27] Speaker C: Thicker file than I expected. [01:07:34] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:07:37] Speaker C: Is there anything that you can tell us about this? [01:07:41] Speaker B: Herridan fellow sheep? Which one? I have multiple Herdants here from the past and present. [01:07:50] Speaker C: Dennis Herridan. [01:07:52] Speaker B: Which one? I have multiple from the past and present. [01:07:56] Speaker C: The one whose file you just presented us with. [01:08:02] Speaker B: Do you want the one in the present? Because she'll kind of, like, pull surplus on the bottom. [01:08:08] Speaker A: You know what? Give us both. [01:08:11] Speaker B: She'll give you all five. And then she'll kind of, like, walk around and then stand in front of the door. [01:08:28] Speaker E: Is there any chance we'll be able to have copies made that we could take with us? [01:08:32] Speaker B: Oh, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until tomorrow for that. [01:08:36] Speaker A: Oh, pretty pleased. We're trying to hire Dennis Herdin on for a job. It's very, very important that we get these copies made. Now, unfortunately, we are going to be having to go on a business trip tomorrow. We're taking off for Japan, and we really, really need these. You'd be doing us such a service. And she's going to activate off. [01:09:04] Speaker B: Okay, go ahead. You only need the one success. [01:09:13] Speaker A: Yes. [01:09:15] Speaker B: And Enchanting voice as well. [01:09:18] Speaker A: Yes. That's charisma performance again. Correct. [01:09:24] Speaker B: Yes. Actually, hold on now. I'm doubting myself. I'll have to doubt myself. That's all I do. Yes, it is Christmas performance difficulty seven, but minus two. Minus two because we were chanting points so difficult feedback. [01:09:48] Speaker A: Two successes. I. [01:09:58] Speaker B: Mean, I can't she's going to bat her eyelashes. [01:10:06] Speaker A: You have no idea how important it is that we get these files. You wouldn't want us to hire a criminal to take care of children, would you? [01:10:16] Speaker B: She'll pull the resin one then, and she'll kind of walk into the bath while the other four files are still there. You hear the printer turning on and more. [01:10:37] Speaker E: Is there, like, any loose paper in the room with us? [01:10:43] Speaker B: There's a couple on the desk. There's a couple pieces, yeah. [01:10:50] Speaker E: Now tell me if this will make sense. I'm not going to do this in the world's most obvious way. If we start pocketing some of the files that are here and replacing it with some of the paper around, could I make it look like Indiana Jones style? Swap it. [01:11:12] Speaker B: I will if you roll me. And this is only going to be for one file only. This is only going to be for one if you roll me. Dexterity and subterfuge as you are gathering up your pieces of paper. The printer is now on, and you can hear her open up the scanner and start and she's kind of going a little bit quicker than you first imagined. [01:11:51] Speaker E: Awesome. With solarity, that makes it six dice. [01:11:57] Speaker B: Anybody else doing anything? [01:12:01] Speaker A: I pulled my weight. I'm just going to sit there and wait. [01:12:06] Speaker C: I'm looking around the archives for abandoned areas and for empty spaces that might house copies of the Book of Nod. [01:12:24] Speaker B: Do you mind? You're looking for copies of the Book of Nod? [01:12:29] Speaker C: No, I'm looking for abandoned areas or old libraries, old museums, old, like, laboratories, places where ancient forgotten artifacts might reasonably hide. [01:12:54] Speaker B: Yeah, if you're looking for where antique stores and art collections might be. [01:13:07] Speaker D: You. [01:13:07] Speaker B: Could go through the Yellow Pages for that. You could wait until the person gets back, and they can kind of start listing off names of places that they know of. [01:13:23] Speaker C: Excellent. Until then, I'm just sort of perusing the. [01:13:32] Speaker B: Oh, go ahead. [01:13:34] Speaker D: No, I was going to look through the files of the old Dennis Herdin, basically, and see if there's anything that could be like if it was like a time of death, or it's anything that could be like a red flag that would be like, oh, that was a mysterious circumstance that this person died under. And tell that they might be a kindred or if it's like these were just like. [01:14:08] Speaker B: Yes, you can look through that. I would love for you to roll me. Perception investigation. Okay. [01:14:22] Speaker D: That, for me, is four dice. Difficulty. [01:14:30] Speaker B: Standard for now? [01:14:31] Speaker D: Standard one success. [01:14:38] Speaker B: It's not fishy. I mean, it's kind of strange, but that's just because this is just something well, okay. This person died around the time of your death, your embrace. And while it was sort of common, yet still a bit of a strange way to die at the time, it doesn't really stand out as kindred. And the other ones, too, you would gather that they are also pretty standard ways to die. The dates don't really appear in any specific pattern either. [01:15:29] Speaker D: Okay. [01:15:33] Speaker B: And as you do that, unless Warren wants to work something in quickly. [01:15:42] Speaker D: I am good. [01:15:44] Speaker B: All right. The person comes back with two folders now and goes like, one's for you, Margot. You're just so awesome. I have seen you in concert once, and it was just so good. And she's actually gushing over you, and you're so beautiful and amazing, and she's just staring so intensely at you like she's your biggest fan in this moment. [01:16:27] Speaker A: Margot is going to merck at that, and she'll take out a piece of paper. What's your name, darling? [01:16:37] Speaker B: Sam. [01:16:39] Speaker A: Sam. And she's going to write down a number that she frequently uses for getting in contact with her fans. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. [01:17:01] Speaker B: For the sake of the imagery, where did you pull the paper? Out of a purse. [01:17:08] Speaker A: A purse? Get your head out of the gutter. Never. [01:17:21] Speaker B: Okay. You cannot say that is not a fair question for me to ask. [01:17:25] Speaker C: She pulled a folded up like origami swan out of her. [01:17:34] Speaker B: Anyway, sam holds it to her chest or goes like, thank you so much. And then she'll kind of turn back and kind of go over to her desk and I'm going to put these back now and just have such a lovely night, and I hope you help those kids in. Where were you going? [01:18:03] Speaker A: We have a business meeting that we have to actually get going to the airport now, but it was so lovely to meet you, Sam. You have a wonderful rest of your evening. [01:18:19] Speaker B: Yeah, you yeah. She kind of just is awestruck still. And as you guys. [01:18:34] Speaker C: Before we go, Sam, not to kill the mood, but do you happen to you're a historian, aren't you, or an archivist? You would know something about the antiquity, the antiquities in this city, wouldn't. [01:18:57] Speaker B: There'S? And she'll rattle off a few antique store names like Chicago Antiques, windy Antiques, so and So, art Gallery. I probably should have written down some fake names. And she just rattles off a few. [01:19:22] Speaker C: Do any of these have a particularly occult nature? [01:19:31] Speaker B: AHA. What? [01:19:34] Speaker C: You know, witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, that sort of thing. [01:19:43] Speaker B: No. [01:19:48] Speaker A: Weird. [01:19:50] Speaker C: Dennis seems to think that some of them do. Oh, well, never mind. Thank you so much, Sam. You've been very helpful. [01:20:02] Speaker B: She's now looking confused and strange and partially wants to pick up the phone and call somebody. [01:20:12] Speaker E: Never mind our friend, ma'am, it's been a long night. She just needs some rest. Please. We'll be going. Thank you very much for your help. [01:20:22] Speaker B: She she then takes her phone. Her hand off the phone. Okay. Get some sleep, you. She kind of goes back, staring with puppy dog eyes at Margot until Margo has actually fully left the room. [01:20:52] Speaker D: And. [01:20:52] Speaker B: Then kind of slowly goes back into her reading and then looks slightly confused for a moment and then into niece reading. [01:21:05] Speaker A: Well, that was relatively easy. [01:21:09] Speaker C: She's a sweet girl. [01:21:12] Speaker A: She'll go far. Yes, and FAW being, she'll make an excellent addition to my collection. [01:21:25] Speaker C: Yes, she does look like a little snack. [01:21:28] Speaker E: She might have to after what that was Sarai. That was a little close to the Masquerade, don't you think? [01:21:38] Speaker C: Oh, I don't think so. I'm sure that know nobody attends archives except for weird. Weirdos and eccentrics. Anyway, and if I did reach the Masquerade, we could have just eaten her. [01:22:04] Speaker A: Maybe not in a place where there's security cameras everywhere. [01:22:07] Speaker B: Yes. [01:22:08] Speaker E: She seems confused enough that I don't think we'll be getting calls about that. Hopefully. Let's go somewhere where you can look over these safely. [01:22:22] Speaker A: All right. [01:22:22] Speaker D: Good idea. [01:22:25] Speaker B: Where do you guys go? [01:22:31] Speaker C: I suppose the nightclub wouldn't be the best place to study paperwork. [01:22:37] Speaker E: No, not quite. [01:22:39] Speaker B: Loud and scratch. [01:22:42] Speaker E: Anybody live near here's? [01:22:51] Speaker B: We can roll a dice to see if anybody wants to live here. [01:22:59] Speaker D: Yeah, we'll roll a dice. Think I might. [01:23:08] Speaker B: You do you want to live near the City hall, Ren? [01:23:13] Speaker D: Oh, wait, no. Near City Hall. No, actually, no. That's a little bit too in the city for me for my liking, actually. [01:23:21] Speaker C: I'll try living near here. [01:23:23] Speaker B: Okay. [01:23:24] Speaker C: What should I roll? [01:23:26] Speaker B: Oh, you don't need to roll anything. It was more of just my way of deciding who possibly could. But if you want to claim it, then go ahead. [01:23:33] Speaker C: Sure. [01:23:35] Speaker B: Okay, then. Soraya's is the haven that is closest by. Can you describe what it looks like? What's? On the inside, what's on the outside? [01:23:50] Speaker C: On the outside, it looks like an abandoned Gothic church. And on the inside, it looks like an abandoned Gothic church. [01:24:04] Speaker E: Sick. [01:24:09] Speaker C: This used to be a Catholic church. It is no longer. And since nobody's using it and it's relatively close to the center of town, I thought it would be a safe place to set up shop. [01:24:29] Speaker B: Yeah, as you guys walk in, it's a pretty empty Gothic church with stone pews, and it's painted on instead of stained glass. It's painted on of Jesus with his welcoming light and everything behind him. And it is a white Jesus. [01:24:57] Speaker C: Yes. This wouldn't have been my first choice. It's very difficult to find a place for a Muslim to pray in this place. Idols everywhere. [01:25:13] Speaker A: You. [01:25:14] Speaker C: But needs must. [01:25:18] Speaker E: No one's trying to squat in here but you. This is a crazy get. [01:25:25] Speaker B: The intimidation of having others not be there. You never know. Yeah, you guys sit down and or wherever Soraya lays her head and her body as the day comes. Whenever the day comes and begins studying the files that Sam had copied for you. Can I have everybody roll perception investigation for academics? Wait, no, they don't have that in this game. Never mind too many systems on my head. [01:26:16] Speaker D: Perception investigation or academics? [01:26:20] Speaker B: Whichever is higher. [01:26:21] Speaker C: Okay, I have keen eyes. Does that affect my role at all? [01:26:26] Speaker B: No. [01:26:28] Speaker C: Okay, and what's the difficulty? [01:26:31] Speaker B: We're going to say difficulties it's going to be a standard difficulty. So, difficulty of six. [01:26:38] Speaker D: Okay. Three successes for one. [01:26:45] Speaker E: Success for me, a fail for me. [01:26:53] Speaker B: Now legacy race us. [01:26:58] Speaker A: Oh God. [01:26:59] Speaker E: Is this a one die pool? [01:27:01] Speaker A: It's a one die pool, baby. [01:27:06] Speaker D: Third time's the charm. Third time is the charm. [01:27:11] Speaker B: So we're the first mother two. [01:27:13] Speaker D: No, that's what I'm saying. Third time is always guaranteed. Come on. [01:27:17] Speaker A: Yeah, of course. [01:27:18] Speaker C: I thought I was the third one. [01:27:22] Speaker A: Difficulty. Difficulty goes up by one if I don't have any dotson. Skill. [01:27:29] Speaker B: Correct. [01:27:30] Speaker A: Okay. It's still a success. [01:27:42] Speaker D: I knew it. [01:27:44] Speaker A: I am unstoppable. I see everything and nothing all at once. [01:27:49] Speaker B: I love this. Okay, so soraya and Warren, you notice that there's smudges to this record more than like what would have been like a photocopy smudge. This is like a swatch, swatch on purpose. And it shows that there was this rented house, rented house in North Town on North Clark Road, where recently, within the last week, that is where a Dennis Herdin has signed on to live. Does it have an address? That's part of what's smudged. But you do see north Clark Newtown. And then as for Margot and Jasper, you guys notice the intentional smudging of numbers for the actual address. Otherwise for Ren, it just kind of looks normal. You fear maybe your animal nature probably is kind of just going like these words all look the same or it's like the uncomfortableness of government documents. [01:29:41] Speaker D: All these words mean the same. God damn it, I don't understand this at all. I just it's up to you guys. I don't understand a link of this. [01:30:03] Speaker B: And then also for Soraya and Warren, you do see that there is acknowledgement of there's like a temporary visa thing filled out for Dennis as well from Wales. [01:30:29] Speaker D: Dennis has some friends overseas. [01:30:38] Speaker A: What's? [01:30:38] Speaker C: In Wales? Anything of interest? [01:30:41] Speaker B: It's saying that he is from Wales. [01:30:44] Speaker C: Oh, I see. [01:30:45] Speaker B: Or what I should be saying. [01:30:50] Speaker E: We have records from like across time. Do we get any indication that these. [01:30:56] Speaker B: Are you have records of present Dennis Hurden? [01:31:02] Speaker E: Oh, I thought we got the present Dennis Hurdin copied and then I stole some other records. [01:31:07] Speaker B: Oh, yes. You do have the old one as well? Yeah, the old ones, they don't really have anything of note. They're from about ten or so years ago, a little bit over that it's a few years past of like what the normal amount of records would be held and it's not really anything of note. It's kind of the birth certificate of this guy and that he bought a house and he filed some tax records and that he died and was cremated. [01:31:55] Speaker E: But comparing the two, we don't get the sense that a death was faked or anything like that. [01:32:02] Speaker B: No, I'm just going to give that for free. There's no connection between these two at all. [01:32:09] Speaker E: Okay, well, we know he isn't from here. We know he does business around here. I mean, I suppose the smudge is strange. Although where would we even start looking into that? [01:32:40] Speaker A: Well, I mean, let me take a look at that. [01:32:53] Speaker E: It's handed over. [01:32:58] Speaker A: Storyteller. [01:33:00] Speaker B: Yes. [01:33:01] Speaker A: I am going to meditate on this for a second. [01:33:09] Speaker B: Okay. [01:33:13] Speaker A: And I'm going to take a moment to kind of sit and connect with this piece of paper. I want to see if I can maybe decipher even a base lettering based on either typing or seeing if I can pull up a letter pattern to see if I can gain at least a street address or beginnings of a street address. [01:34:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, okay. Let's. [01:34:13] Speaker A: Get. [01:34:21] Speaker B: Let'S see. [01:34:23] Speaker A: You it. [01:34:26] Speaker B: Can you roll me? This is tricky intelligence, and it I gotta figure out the right ability to sign this with either street wise or investigation. Street wise is for what addresses are there in that neighborhood that you could in this sort of large ish neighborhood, and street are going through it, and investigation is kind of going around the idea of how it was smeared and what kind of people rub their addresses. [01:35:48] Speaker A: Okay, I assume because my sheet it's difficulty seven. [01:35:56] Speaker B: Yes. [01:36:16] Speaker A: But it's not a Botch, so that's all that matters to me. [01:36:19] Speaker B: Baby, you don't really get anything from it. Ideas that you could pursue that do pop up in your meditation is possibly walking up and down that street, asking all the people on that street in that neighborhood, hey, have you seen a Welsh guy in Midnight? [01:36:58] Speaker C: Doesn't seem very efficient. [01:37:04] Speaker B: That is possibly an idea that crosses everybody's mind of you can walk up and down this about, like, six mile stretch of road in this neighborhood to ask, but it would probably take up your whole night if you did that. Um. [01:37:26] Speaker C: We have another option. [01:37:35] Speaker D: Oh, go ahead. [01:37:38] Speaker C: Could we just ask about him by name? [01:37:50] Speaker E: I have some people I would trust to ask about it, but I don't know, he seems the kind of guy that would be cagey, wouldn't associate with people that would go giving his name to strangers. [01:38:04] Speaker C: Well, he did give his name to strangers. He clearly wants to be found. [01:38:13] Speaker D: That is fair. I could possibly ask someone, but I don't know. I have some people I know that I might be able to ask about. [01:38:40] Speaker E: I mean, you guys got any friends that care about this sort of stuff? Book a nod or whatever? Maybe they know him directly. [01:38:53] Speaker C: I don't have any such friends in Chicago, I'm afraid. But I'm happy to go about investigating if somebody finds a lead. [01:39:13] Speaker E: Don't I don't know. Even if the answer is yes to this, we would carry it out like the Tremere shantry around here. [01:39:23] Speaker D: Oh. [01:39:28] Speaker A: The Tremere. [01:39:30] Speaker C: The Tramir. [01:39:34] Speaker E: Weird old books. And the people who deal with them, it's kind of their bag. [01:39:39] Speaker A: Are you sure you want to own a boon to the Tramir? [01:39:45] Speaker C: Not after the blood curse. God, no. [01:39:49] Speaker E: Listen, I'm just throwing out ideas, all right? We're brainstorming. There are no bad ideas. Except for maybe that one. [01:39:56] Speaker A: Except for going to the Tramier. [01:40:02] Speaker C: Well, it depends. What are the trimier like in this city? Where do their allegiances lie? Aside from to themselves? [01:40:19] Speaker B: Famously for everybody else, the premier here, somewhat of a select few. There's about seven of them in all Chicago, and they're led by a very old Primagen who looks very young. As in, they look like a child. [01:40:58] Speaker E: Oh. [01:41:04] Speaker A: I have my grievances about going to the Shmia, but that's just me. If you all want to go and try your hand with that load of fun, by all means, don't let me stop you. [01:41:28] Speaker C: I'm with Marco. I don't trust the tremor as far as I can throw at them. [01:41:36] Speaker D: I would agree on that as well. [01:41:40] Speaker E: Look, I don't have any friends with him. I just thought maybe one of you guys were holding out on us. Let me get in touch with my sire. Maybe if there's a payphone around here, he might know about this status guy. He's older than me. [01:42:00] Speaker B: Yeah, there's a payphone outside of the church, as you do call him. He picks up and goes, hey, what's up? [01:42:11] Speaker E: Hey, Blackjack. Got some info you might want to see. I don't know if I should talk about it too much on the phone, but something about an old book important. [01:42:22] Speaker B: What's the name of the book? I don't care about the book. [01:42:26] Speaker E: The Book of Nod. Guy named Dennis Harden. [01:42:32] Speaker B: No. And he hangs out all right, that was more of a no of disappointment of I can't believe you believe in oh, come on. And we'll go on to our next people who would like to act. [01:42:58] Speaker D: Yeah, I think Wren will go ahead and try to call up their contact with having some smuggling background and stuff like that. [01:43:15] Speaker B: Yeah, you call their phone number and you hear it ring the correct amount of times. It's like two and a half. And then they pick up and they kind of like, wait the 5 seconds that's usual for you, too, and go like, what's up? [01:43:34] Speaker D: Hey, I have a lead for a job right now that I'm doing, and I need some possible information, if you happen to have any. [01:43:48] Speaker B: Pens on what it is. Do you know? I'm your information guy. What you got? [01:43:54] Speaker D: Dennis Herdin. Do you know anything about him? [01:43:59] Speaker B: Oh, you're working for that guy or are you trying to hunt? [01:44:04] Speaker D: Locate him, hunt him down. [01:44:08] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah, he is. As much as we're shady, he's a little shadier. [01:44:19] Speaker C: Oh, shit. [01:44:20] Speaker D: Really? [01:44:22] Speaker B: Yeah. He deals with art and antiquities and things of that nature. And it's not always from the most reputable of sources and in most legal ways. I heard he was in this city. I have my people little reps say that he was in Newtown, sort of north of the city center. It's North Clark, and I don't know, kind of in between this and that. He gives two different addresses. It's kind of in between these two. And he essentially just narrowed down your search to about a mile. [01:45:21] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. Thank you very thank you very much. Yeah, that works great. [01:45:33] Speaker B: Do you do you need a way of contacting him? I can get you that. [01:45:45] Speaker D: Yeah, that would that would be perfect, actually. [01:45:49] Speaker B: All right. He's got his own code, what I heard. Haven't really contacted him myself. I haven't actually learned it, but he's got his own code and everything, so be aware. And he gives you a phone number, for example, and anything else you need. [01:46:25] Speaker D: Hey, if you see Sylvia, just let her know. This is big, what I'm doing right now. Okay. [01:46:43] Speaker B: But for now, I'll wait on it. We'll see what I need to have you do next. And he hangs up. [01:46:54] Speaker D: Oh, that was promising. I turn around and after the phone call so I got some information. We got two addresses that we can look at, and it's about a mile apart, it looks like it, so and I also have a and also I think yeah, I have a phone number as well, I believe. A way to contact right. Just making sure I heard that correct. [01:47:41] Speaker B: You have you have a phone number contact them? [01:47:43] Speaker D: Yes, I have a phone number to contact them, and I feel like I can give a call right now. [01:47:55] Speaker E: That's nifty. Maybe it's a little direct, but. [01:48:01] Speaker A: It. [01:48:01] Speaker D: Could be under guise of a job I'm working on. [01:48:06] Speaker A: Few more butts. [01:48:11] Speaker D: Nothing. [01:48:15] Speaker A: I really hope this number isn't the poor guy that we just called earlier tonight. [01:48:28] Speaker D: Hope not as well, because that would just be our luck, wouldn't it? So I'm going to go ahead and turn back around and call this number. [01:48:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it picks up and you don't hear anything and hear click over to an answering machine and you hear this pre recorded message going like, hey, it's Steven Smith. Leave a message at the Beat. Now, you know your contact doesn't lie to you as well, I should say that. [01:49:13] Speaker D: Hi. This is Winford. I am here on the contact of a I was given this number here to contact you about a antique, but just give me a call if you get a chance and just call me on this number and I'll be more than willing to reach out. Bye. I hang up. [01:49:47] Speaker B: A minute passes, and then you actually hear the phone beam. [01:49:55] Speaker D: I pick it back up. [01:50:00] Speaker B: Hey, this is Dennis. How would you get my phone number? [01:50:06] Speaker D: Yes, hi there. My name is Randy here. I got your number through a mutual contact of ours, and I have a thing I'm very much interested in looking at. If you have a chance for me to come by and look at. [01:50:34] Speaker B: No, you don't get to come here. That's not how this works. Whoever you got my number from should have told you. That you should know that. [01:50:45] Speaker D: We are calling about the book. [01:50:49] Speaker B: Yes? A book. Yes, a book. [01:50:55] Speaker D: Yes, a book. [01:50:57] Speaker B: Good. Now, I don't have a book yet, but I will find you. Have somebody deliver another note to you next time when I get a book. He's speaking with a Welsh accent. [01:51:31] Speaker D: All right. I'll all right. That sounds fine. Just when you get a book, message us. Same place. [01:51:47] Speaker B: Might take a while to get a book. These two sellers of a book are different than what I have dealt with before in past, older books. [01:52:22] Speaker D: That the client is very much interested in it. I will not get this done. [01:52:28] Speaker B: No, the phone lines are not secure. He starts, like whispering. Phone lines are not secure. Discretion is necessary. I am the buyer of a book, and I am willing to sell it to you for a fee. For finders fee. Now, mind you, this is a very hot book, so they're probably feeling other offers from people of other clients who sell their own books, so it might just be a really long time. [01:53:36] Speaker D: Sorry. [01:53:39] Speaker B: It it. [01:53:46] Speaker D: Fine. Then I understand. It will take a bit. [01:53:55] Speaker B: Is there anything else that you need from me? [01:54:06] Speaker D: As of right now? No. [01:54:08] Speaker B: All right. I hope people like yourselves and of your background understand the discretion that is necessary. And he hangs up. You hear the click? [01:54:32] Speaker D: I just hang up forcefully on it. Might even dense the receiver a little bit. Not even intentional. Like damn it. [01:54:48] Speaker E: So no dice. [01:54:51] Speaker D: Didn't give me anything, really. Just told me it'll take a while to get a book. [01:55:00] Speaker E: Then, if we want to get a book, as he put it, someone's going to have to, what, pay him? I don't know about you guys, but I'm not exactly Uncle Money Bags. [01:55:15] Speaker A: Fine. Luckily for you, my line of work comes with a perk, and she's going to take out her wallet and open it up, and there is just a wad of cash just in her wallet. I work for Tip, so I've got a little bit of extra resources if this means that we get the book. But if I buy the book, I keep the book. [01:56:04] Speaker B: Mmhmm. [01:56:11] Speaker E: And if we all pitch in. [01:56:15] Speaker A: Then we can make copies of the book. But I have a job that I need to do, and my comfort relies heavily on it, and I think I've more than pulled my weight to get us where we are right now. [01:56:54] Speaker E: I still feel suspicious about this whole thing. It would be one thing if someone had sent us to track this guy down or something, but why us? Are one of you secretly obsessed with this book and hasn't told us? [01:57:12] Speaker D: No, not at all. [01:57:16] Speaker E: Surely he would look for influential or wealthy buyers in the first place. Something's fishy, I think. I don't know. [01:57:29] Speaker A: Influential and wealthy buyer right here. Listen, we might not even be his target. We might just be the means to an end. [01:57:46] Speaker B: Almost. [01:57:47] Speaker A: There are plenty of people in this world that we live in that would love to get their hands in a book like that. Especially the book. [01:58:04] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [01:58:08] Speaker A: Sorry. I don't think that you quite understand the power that this could give us. If we get our hands on this. [01:58:21] Speaker D: Book. [01:58:24] Speaker A: We could have a lot of pull. Maybe not with your faction. [01:58:33] Speaker E: Well, that's well and good, but you're trying to hand the book over to somebody. [01:58:42] Speaker C: Certainly Alamute is interested in keeping the. [01:58:45] Speaker D: Book. [01:58:49] Speaker C: And I am interested in keeping it away from Alamute. [01:58:58] Speaker E: I don't know. Feels like a trap for us. Gives you the heebie GB's sending some mind controlled sucker to us. We don't know who this guy is. Never talked to him. It's just strange, I suppose. [01:59:19] Speaker A: You said he doesn't even have the book to begin with, right? [01:59:24] Speaker D: That is correct. [01:59:27] Speaker A: I don't even know why we're worried. [01:59:31] Speaker B: About. [01:59:34] Speaker A: A book that doesn't physically exist right now in Chicago. [01:59:47] Speaker D: Well, it could be a problem later on. I would rather get ahead of it now. [01:59:54] Speaker A: Unfortunately, without a book, there's not much more getting ahead. [02:00:00] Speaker D: Knowing who has it and knowing whose hands it might pass by is a big deal. Preemptively do you know. [02:00:11] Speaker A: Does this Dennis gentleman know? [02:00:15] Speaker D: At least we know this Dennis person, and we know two addresses he could be at. [02:00:25] Speaker A: Fine and dandy, but until we have confirmation that he has the book, there's really not much that we can do. Look at all the trouble that we went through just to get this gentleman's contact information. [02:00:40] Speaker D: One thing we can really do is I would say, is dALK his residences and movement. [02:00:53] Speaker E: What if we intercepted the book, didn't get to him? I mean, this guy, maybe he's a big player, maybe that's a bad idea, but it's worth staking it out, right? [02:01:08] Speaker A: Sure, if we know where he's going to pick up this book from. I assume any man who has dealings with any sort of underground purchases isn't dumb enough to do it at his home. And do we even know if this gentleman is one of us, or is he a model, or is he no idea. [02:01:37] Speaker D: Well, it sounded like he might know about us. [02:01:42] Speaker A: Knowing about us and being us are two while in the same ballpark. Could very much be two different things. My retainer is not us, but my retainer isn't us. [02:01:57] Speaker D: That's fair. [02:02:02] Speaker A: I can send my friend to go stake out, watch him. [02:02:14] Speaker D: There's two locations, though, so I can solve the other location if need be. [02:02:21] Speaker E: I've also got somebody who I can send. [02:02:24] Speaker A: It might be best if we send somebody during the day, have them follow the trails just in case. [02:02:33] Speaker D: That's fair enough. [02:02:35] Speaker A: It would at least give us confirmation of whether or not this man is one of us or one of them. [02:02:44] Speaker E: I like that plan. [02:02:47] Speaker D: I like it, too. [02:02:50] Speaker B: Just a reminder before you guys actually enact this plan. You guys don't know what this person looks like? [02:02:55] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [02:02:59] Speaker E: The old Welshman, or alternatively the suspiciously young Welshman probably sticks out a little bit. Right. [02:03:07] Speaker B: It's a guy in his mid 40s, which, I mean, unfortunately, just around town, as much as Welsh is still European and hence white. [02:03:29] Speaker A: Is it an apartment, a condo? Single family home townhome? What are you working with? [02:03:35] Speaker B: There are some apartments there. There's some businesses. There the kind of Milo radius that your guy gave you or mile stretch of the street, I should say. It has a couple businesses and apartments above those businesses. And, you know, like, there's there's an old bookstore there. There's like, there's food, there's like a restaurant, a cafe, and an an actual antique store, which I should say is part of which is connected to the old bookstore as well. [02:04:12] Speaker D: Okay. Just because I'm a smuggler. And also how close is to the Lakes and river? Possibly it's in the city. [02:04:27] Speaker B: This is really close to the center of the city. Yeah. [02:04:30] Speaker D: Okay, good. That's good to know. All right. We're not going to be expecting like somehow boat ride or something like that? That's all I care. Okay, good. All right. [02:04:49] Speaker B: Yeah. You guys don't know what he looks like. You don't really know much about him other than he's in his mid 40s, he's Welsh, and hence that kind of just means he's slightly older looking and is white, which can describe millions of people. [02:05:09] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:05:11] Speaker D: Was there anything in the files, by the way, with like visa passports and stuff like that? They gave out more descriptors, by the way. [02:05:21] Speaker B: No, that's really all anybody knows about him. He's very tight to the chest about everything. Rightfully so. This guy does as much as you would do smuggling. He does smuggling. These are very big federal crimes in multiple countries kind of smuggling thing. These are ancient artifacts that were probably stolen from a different country and then brought here and sold here, which can be a big issue. [02:06:00] Speaker E: Hobby Lobby activities. [02:06:05] Speaker B: Very much what the British did, except there's actual consequences. Um, I mean, now that you do have about a mile radius, it does see, I it would probably be more reasonable for you all to go and start knocking on doors and whatnot. [02:06:31] Speaker E: We could ask some neighborhood people if anyone's got a funny accent. [02:06:38] Speaker D: This stuff Chicago, so people can have. [02:06:44] Speaker B: If you say Welsh accent, though, I mean yeah, the one with the funniest. [02:06:48] Speaker D: Accent. [02:06:52] Speaker B: Which out of for the sake of kindness to everybody's ears, I will not try to imitate because, um what are you guys gonna do? [02:07:20] Speaker E: Let's drive around the neighborhood. I don't know. See if we find anybody. Ostentatious. [02:07:25] Speaker D: That's fine. By. [02:07:30] Speaker B: Uh, the other three. [02:07:36] Speaker D: Tag along for that. [02:07:39] Speaker B: Soraya Margo Soraya also tags along and. [02:07:44] Speaker C: Is slightly bemused by this development. [02:07:57] Speaker A: Let's see if I follow you a lot around. I sit there and Twitter my thumbs. So. [02:08:06] Speaker B: As you guys go down, the neighbors kind of, like, start narrowing their search your search pit. And you do actually figure out there is an apartment above the old bookstore and antique store that they think they've seen him they think very stressed on things. They think they've seen him leave from there before. If anything, he often frequents those stores. [02:08:41] Speaker D: MMM. [02:08:45] Speaker E: That's in character. Some kind of rare goods dealer hanging out in the antique store could post somebody up watching that. [02:08:57] Speaker D: That's fair enough. [02:09:04] Speaker E: It are there any homeless people or anything like that around the block? [02:09:13] Speaker B: Them probably they're asleep, though, or doing drugs as well. That is what I'm going to say. [02:09:24] Speaker E: That's fair. Two activities. You shouldn't disturb people while doing that. [02:09:30] Speaker B: Yeah. The spell is uncomfortable. And you could probably guess that some of those tourniquets were not for stopping bleeding. Um, you can try knocking on this guy's door. [02:09:57] Speaker E: I know this has been a prank heavy episode, but this does seem like a perfect occasion for ding dong ditch. [02:10:07] Speaker D: I hate to say it, but I think you're right. [02:10:11] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [02:10:14] Speaker E: Who runs the fastest? [02:10:18] Speaker B: Who's wanting to ding dong ditch and who's not wanting to ding dong ditch? I'll think I'll post it as bad because there might be a chance somebody does not want to. [02:10:28] Speaker A: I think that Margo's gonna separate herself from any ding dong. [02:10:38] Speaker D: I think that it will be Ren. [02:10:40] Speaker B: Removed himself or it is removing itself. [02:10:44] Speaker D: I think it's Ren again. I think after looking through that paperwork, that was just I need something. Feel a little bit adrenaline. Little bit anything right now. Will do. [02:11:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:11:04] Speaker D: That's his justification. That is his justification in his head. [02:11:08] Speaker E: I'll post up across the street to watch the house. [02:11:15] Speaker B: Yeah, you do it. And the lights turn on. The door opens and then closes. And then kind of the lights stay on. It's 130 in the morning now. [02:11:33] Speaker D: Is there any I mean, do we get to see him, what he looks like or. [02:11:42] Speaker B: Not in this instant? You do know he's inhabiting the place that he's actually there. [02:11:48] Speaker D: Okay. [02:11:50] Speaker E: When the door opens, do I get do I get a look at his face? [02:11:54] Speaker B: Not unless you're standing on the staircase. [02:11:57] Speaker E: Tragic. [02:12:01] Speaker B: Um, there's an Italian restaurant down the road as well. The lights are on there's. You can actually try talking to him. Find you as well. It's not like that's not an option. [02:12:27] Speaker D: That's fair. [02:12:31] Speaker E: He did seem like the type on the phone to not, like late night visitors. But who knows? [02:12:42] Speaker B: You might be forgetting Margot's one true beautiful tower. [02:12:48] Speaker D: Yeah, I think I'm going to oh, God. Margot? [02:12:57] Speaker A: Yes, darling? [02:13:00] Speaker D: I think we need you to be the one to approach Dennis about this. [02:13:10] Speaker A: Oh, me? [02:13:12] Speaker D: Yes. [02:13:16] Speaker A: And why is. [02:13:21] Speaker D: I think you're the best one who can be able to talk to him and try to get something out of him. [02:13:30] Speaker A: Oh, very well, I will see what I can do. Um, and we have confirmation on which door is his, I assume? [02:13:46] Speaker B: Yes, you do. [02:13:48] Speaker A: All it okay. So what exactly am I going to tell this gentleman? Hey, I know that you just said that you don't have this book, but do you have this book? [02:14:06] Speaker D: I would say just act like you're I think I would just act like you overheard from someone about this book. He apparently has, quote unquote. [02:14:30] Speaker C: Let me. [02:14:31] Speaker A: See what I can do. She is going to dust herself off and picks up her hair and she is going to go and knock on this gentleman's door. [02:14:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Roll her eyes. Yeah. He answers and he goes like did. Who? Hi. Didn't expect to see you. Are you the leader of your group? [02:15:18] Speaker A: You could say that. Listen, darling, I know that my group and she puts up quotation marks. Might have gone off on the wrong foot, but listen, I have a vested interest in obtaining this book. Those idiots back there don't know or appreciate literature quite the way that I do. I was wondering if maybe you and I can go and talk about it a bit more in depth, maybe. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. [02:16:14] Speaker B: Can you roll manipulation, subterfuge? Yes. And I will allow you to use your specialty, just given the nature you're alluring specialty, not the upper one. [02:16:34] Speaker A: Okay. [02:16:36] Speaker B: Not seduction. That's fine, unless you want to seduce this guy. [02:16:42] Speaker A: I mean, listen, at this point, what's the difference between what she's doing and what she could be doing? So subterfuge and manipulation, you said? [02:16:50] Speaker B: Yes. Okay. [02:16:59] Speaker A: I'm going to spend a willpower to get an automatic success. Standard difficulty. [02:17:06] Speaker B: Yes. [02:17:07] Speaker A: Okay. [02:17:10] Speaker B: We'Ll throw in enchanting voice as well, unless you have already pressed enter. [02:17:15] Speaker A: Okay, I have not. So that takes it down to difficulty four. Successes is. [02:17:37] Speaker B: Yeah, is all he says. Yeah. Are they around? Do you want them here? Do you want this? Just be us. And he goes with like a slight spark or kind of like that slight. [02:18:07] Speaker A: You asked Vittoria to help and she is helping. [02:18:12] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:18:14] Speaker A: You know what? I'll leave that completely up to you. It is your home. I wouldn't want to impose and make you uncomfortable. [02:18:25] Speaker B: He steps out of the way and gestures in and then closes the door behind you. Now there is this music playing, and it is jazz, coincidentally, and it's a heavy leaning on the trumpet again, the second time it's happened as of late. And it feels slightly muddled with reaver, but as you get deeper in, it feels clearer, as if this is where you're supposed to be. This is the correct step. And goes so what do you need to know about the book? About the apocrypha the book of Nod? [02:19:46] Speaker A: Well, darling, I was made aware from a little birdie that you might be getting your hands on the book. [02:19:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm buying it from two people. He's kind of strange fellow, and he kind of goes over to a cabinet and pulls out a whiskey tumbler and pours a drink. And he asks, Would you like one? [02:20:26] Speaker A: I would love one. [02:20:29] Speaker B: He pours you one as well. He ice. [02:20:37] Speaker A: Neat. [02:20:41] Speaker B: Interesting. He hands the drink, hands the glass to you. [02:20:47] Speaker A: Ice waters it down. It takes away from the experience. [02:20:52] Speaker B: Definitely. He takes a sip and then looks to you as he sits on a couch. So I'm getting the apocrypha two people. [02:21:18] Speaker A: And what are your connections, these two people? Are they people that you've worked with in the past? Are they friends? Are they strangers. [02:21:36] Speaker B: Just like us? Friends of friends. [02:21:39] Speaker A: Friends of friends. [02:21:41] Speaker B: Do you know Dix? He's the one who was he told me about you, about your group. Your group that helps make what my business is more legitimate. I mean, look at you. Your group must be very successful. [02:22:11] Speaker A: You could say that's. [02:22:20] Speaker B: How much are you willing to pay for this book? [02:22:28] Speaker A: Let me ask you. And she'll lean in. She'll put the glass of whiskey to her lips and let it sit there for a moment before putting it back down. She's not actually drinking that crap. That crap tastes like dirt to her. [02:22:45] Speaker B: You'll throw it up is what will happen if you do drink. [02:22:48] Speaker A: Yeah, but she'll just put it to her lips and let it linger there for a second before putting it back down, noting that there's a little bit of a red lipstick stain on the glass now, and she'll turn that lipstick stain over to face him and kind of push forward. What's the book worth to you? [02:23:13] Speaker B: Well, he'll take a sip, and then he'll set his glass down and motion his way, and he'll actually grab out he'll actually pull out a pad of paper from his suit pocket. And he'll also grab a pen. He'll write down, like he'll write down the number two and then, like, 10% and goes, I don't know, probably about 2200, 200. [02:23:55] Speaker A: Hmm. [02:24:00] Speaker B: Well, I mean, you must be able to pay for it. [02:24:06] Speaker A: That definitely is true. I'll tell you what. You give me a call the moment that you get that book in. I've got people who can help legitimize any business that you might need. I'll give you 1400 for the book, and you'll have very established connection in this city, which I believe is something. [02:24:55] Speaker B: That you hundred now. I will tell you where to get the book. [02:24:58] Speaker A: How is that so? [02:25:03] Speaker B: Yes, it is. Or at least who to get it from. [02:25:17] Speaker A: Are you sure you don't want to do business with me on a mall regular basis? I am bought a. [02:25:31] Speaker B: I already know how to contact you. I just got to send one of my little birdies. [02:25:36] Speaker A: One of your birdies? [02:25:40] Speaker B: Well, he was the one who dropped off the package, that little thing which does not describe the person who gave the package. [02:25:51] Speaker A: Mmhmm. I'll give you the money. You put me in direct contact with them, tell them that I'm picking up the book. [02:26:09] Speaker B: And he'll scribble out the number and then actually write down a phone number. Sales and tumba. And he'll throw down the rest of his drink and then refresh and out. And he'll turn around first. Money as beautiful as you are and as dumbing money makes the world go round. [02:27:07] Speaker A: I could argue for other things, making the world go around, but I'm not a fool. [02:27:21] Speaker B: Money first. Then I will call them to let them know that you are picking it up. [02:27:31] Speaker A: She'll take out the cash and she'll put on the table, but her hand is over it. You can touch it when you make that phone call. It's right here. [02:27:43] Speaker B: He'll walk out of the room and you hear him pick up the phone. You hear him talk, arguably, and then gently hang up the phone while he's doing all this. The pad of paper that does have their phone number on it is right by the money, if you do want to take that and leave. [02:28:29] Speaker A: Yeah, she's going to slide it in her purse. [02:28:37] Speaker D: Now. [02:28:37] Speaker B: He's on the phone for a good few minutes. [02:28:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:28:41] Speaker B: There is the chance you do this right, that you can what's my stealth score? [02:28:52] Speaker A: What stealth score? No, she's going to do this legitimately because she knows what her capabilities are and sneaking out of a house is not it. [02:29:06] Speaker B: Don't forget about one of your disciplines that kind of makes it sound like you're still there. Would you like to use that one? [02:29:15] Speaker A: Yes, actually. Yeah, I'm going to she sounds like she's still there. She sounds like her foot's tapping and her nails are like planking on the what's it called? On the table. On the table. Like she's impatiently waiting for him. But while that's going on, she's going to get up and leave. [02:29:49] Speaker B: Yeah. As you're kind of sort of somewhat it just says, you do have such a high performance stat. I'm going to give this to you. You are making these noises with your mouth very well. You're a very trained singer, so you're very good at making sound effects and you do get up with your money and the phone number and leave as he then walks back to an empty room with two whiskey tumblers, one red lipstick on it. And, yeah, presumably as soon as you get out of there, all of you book it. After you see Margot, also book it. Can everybody make me perception alertness? And it's going to be difficulty eight, which means for our gangrel friend, it is going to be difficulty six. And for our Toriodor friend, it's difficulty difficulty seven. And I will be kind of angry if you still get this. Sorry. It's not going to be difficulty seven, it's going to be difficulty nine. I'm going to be angry if you get this one. [02:31:37] Speaker A: God, I hope I do. [02:31:38] Speaker E: I just bought awareness. Let's go, boys. [02:31:42] Speaker B: Alert. [02:31:43] Speaker E: Alertness. [02:31:44] Speaker D: Noises apply here, or does it not? [02:31:47] Speaker B: Noises does apply here. Your acute senses and noises all apply here. [02:31:52] Speaker D: 716. [02:32:01] Speaker B: And the reason I'm going to be mad, viewers, is because statistically, it should not be possible. [02:32:09] Speaker D: Jesus. [02:32:10] Speaker B: Yes. It should not be possible for someone to roll a single die four different times and still succeed each time. So far, we are not having good luck with this. Shout out to again. [02:32:29] Speaker A: Finally, a failure. My first failure was a difficulty nine. [02:32:35] Speaker B: Roll also one. Difficulty nine. Our gang girlfriend. Do you hear you you hear footsteps about, like, a half mile away, and you kind of can barely see the faintest outline of a figure. You can't make it out. Could be kindred. It could be a human. Could be that thing that was stalking you earlier. [02:33:15] Speaker D: Oh, I am going to I'm going to start moving softly back, and then I'm going to just try to I'm going to try to ambush this thing. Yeah, absolutely. [02:33:46] Speaker B: Okay. Dext delph. [02:33:54] Speaker D: Dextel. The silent movements will help out in this. [02:34:03] Speaker B: Yes. [02:34:06] Speaker D: Difficulty standard. Okay. [02:34:13] Speaker B: Your daredevil. Let me go look at that really quick. But that is going to apply. I just need to see what it does. [02:34:22] Speaker D: I think it is. [02:34:27] Speaker B: Shame on me for not knowing. [02:34:29] Speaker D: I think I remember it was like I get to add, like, three dice or something like that. [02:34:35] Speaker B: Yes. [02:34:36] Speaker D: I get to add additional three dice to this. [02:34:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Because this is definitely going to be dangerous. And this is risky, you sneaking up on these people. [02:34:55] Speaker D: Yes, it is. And especially on the beat. All right. That is going to be eight successes. [02:35:10] Speaker E: My God. [02:35:13] Speaker B: As you're making your way up, you were very quiet and very stealth like, and you get to see this figure. They are packing. They are packing weapons. I need you to make another role. Same thing. Difficulty eight. [02:35:33] Speaker D: Oh, God. [02:35:34] Speaker B: Now you are feeling there's something different about this person. [02:35:44] Speaker D: Same type of role. [02:35:46] Speaker B: Same role. [02:35:48] Speaker D: Okay, here we go. Eight. Specialty. [02:36:04] Speaker B: Two. It. [02:36:07] Speaker D: Oh, Jesus Christ. [02:36:08] Speaker E: A tragedy. [02:36:10] Speaker D: Oh, fuck. Oh, no. I'm in. [02:36:29] Speaker B: You feel repulsion. There is a magic like aura around this being, and you ever so slightly stumble over something. You don't know if you've been made yet or not just due to your previous role. You don't know if you've been made yet or not. This person kind of like they don't fully turn over to you, but they do kind of tilt their head to maybe hear something. Again, I this person is packing. They have rare beads. They have Ross and Iron Ross. And they have a big gun. [02:37:35] Speaker A: Oh, shit. [02:37:38] Speaker D: Oh, fuck. Oh, no. This is like a hunter or something. This is bad. Um. [02:37:53] Speaker B: I have one chance to either attack this person or do some sort of thing to alert your teammates or maybe take this person out of the shadows at least. All right, there are rats. There's a rat nearby. There's crows. As long as you can lock eyes, you can use your animals. [02:38:29] Speaker D: I will use a I will look at a crow to alert them. [02:38:40] Speaker B: And manipulation. Animal can okay. [02:38:45] Speaker D: Not my strongest. [02:38:48] Speaker B: What's your command going to be? [02:38:53] Speaker D: I'm just going to say my command is going to be warn of danger. [02:39:10] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. [02:39:18] Speaker D: Just so they are a little bit more aware than what's happening. And just to be also be like because I think they think I'm so rounded, but I'm not. Yeah. I'm going to warn of danger with that. And I need manipulation. Animal can right believe it's. [02:39:39] Speaker B: Diff seven for the power we're going to see diff eight because of this aura. [02:39:45] Speaker D: Okay. Diff eight. I don't get. I will I will use a willpower on this one. That's going to be one success. [02:40:12] Speaker B: This bird, you said it was a crow, right? [02:40:16] Speaker D: Yep. [02:40:17] Speaker B: This bird pulls on soraya starts dragging and starts hecking, and it hecks at you and then starts pulling your clothes over to where Ren is, and that, I think, is where we're going to have to end it for today. Running out of time. [02:40:58] Speaker D: So I would. [02:41:02] Speaker B: No, go ahead and. [02:41:04] Speaker D: See what you need after I warn because I feel like I will about to be again. I will pop the claws. [02:41:14] Speaker B: All right. Yes. This is where we're going to have to end for today, because we are running out of time. With ren about to jump attack a hunter a good night, everybody's.