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episode 6

Dozens B. McCuzzins 2022-09-18 16:52:24 -06:00
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id: 1 id: 1
name: Meadowgloom name: Meadowgloom
desc: An older balding man with watery eyes, a fine goatee and mustache, jowls, and a high, soft voice. desc: An older balding man with watery eyes, a fine goatee and mustache, jowls, and a high, soft voice.
status: active status: alfred
contact: 2 contact: 2
note: roughed up by the westerners note: roughed up by the westerners
note: now ~~being roughed up by~~ living with the heroes? note: now ~~being roughed up by~~ living with the heroes?
note: stabbed to death by the Dead Ringer, brought back to life by Iofi
id: 2 id: 2
name: Dedric Blackguard name: Dedric Blackguard

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@ -15,3 +15,6 @@ note: Does the Hand have Blackguard?
id: 3 id: 3
name: Why does Sahtor want war between the Onq and the Givziean? name: Why does Sahtor want war between the Onq and the Givziean?
id: 4
name: the dead god

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---
title: 00006. Bone and Feather
created: 2022-09-12
updated: 2022-09-18
---
"Blackguard?" Maddox fumes incredulously, their voice croaking as it always does whenever raised above conversational tones. "How did you get here?" They demand. "How did you find us? Who did you lead here, you fool!"
Iofi and Blackguard are gingerly laying Meadowgloom down in the pantry, which is just barely large enough to accommodate his frame. He rolls his large watery eyes around without focusing on much of anything. He gasps for breath, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly like a fish. He is deathly pale.
Iofi looks up over her shoulder and glares at Maddox. They continue to fume, but quietly.
"Go get ready to snap inside the wall," she says.
Maddox raises their eyebrows, a silent question.
"We shouldn't move Meadowgloom any more. And," her voices hardens, "I want whoever did this."
"Are you sure about this? You're willing to be god's hammer?"
She nods resolutely. "Take the bathroom door." Maddox nods and leaves.
"You," she says, turning back to Blackguard, "stay here with Meadowgloom." Probably didn't need to be said. The man in the top hat has made no effort to leave his side, not even once.
"Stay quiet. We'll be back for you when this is over."
She stands up and exits the pantry and closes the door. She reaches into her satchel and pulls out a trinket, a small tin key that might open a music box. She stoops down and places it by the door frame, and touches the door, and whispers, "[Hidden]{.smallcaps}."
The door vanishes.
She makes a round through the apartment, blessing each door and making small offerings.
<center><pre>~ * ~</pre></center>
Outside, a small street urchin watches from the gutter as a figure emerges from the shadows and approaches the door to the apartment. It turns the handle and silently crosses the threshold. The urchin vanishes.
The Dead Ringer climbs the steps up to the apartment above the bookstore. At the top of the stairs is a closed door, the door to the living area. He listens and hears nothing. He tries the handle. It is unlocked. He lets himself inside.
Inside is a plain, empty room. There is a small table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of the other three walls.
The Dead Ringer listens and looks for signs of activity and, finding none, steps into the room and looks around a little. He tries one of the doors, opens it and peeks inside. The next room is plain and empty. There is a small table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of the other three walls.
He looks back at the current room. And back through the door. The rooms are identical. He cautiously steps inside and closes the door behind him. He tries another door, only to find the same room once again.
He retraces his steps to the original room and opens the door to the stairwell. On the other side is a plain, empty room. There is a small table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of the other three walls.
He closes the door quietly and backs up and looks around the room again.
<center><pre>~ * ~</pre></center>
Iofi and Maddox are sitting in the bedroom.
She is sitting on the bed, feeding a strawberry to the small, two-headed, black turtle in her lap. Both heads are eating toward the center from opposite sides, and both seem very content.
Maddox is sitting still staring blankly at the wall. They do that when concentrating on their other eyes and ears. And now that they seem to have more eyes and more ears than before, they do a lot more staring.
They blink a few times and turn to Iofi.
"Okay," they say in their quiet melodic voice. "We're ready."
Iofi nods, and strokes the turtle's back.
<center><pre>~ * ~</pre></center>
The Dead Ringer has been wandering through the single room labyrinth for a while now. It is starting to take some effort to continue to suppress his rising panic.
After an hour of trying doors at random, he opens a door onto a lavish library. He almost cries out in relief at seeing something different, and rushes into the room, closing the door behind him, his chest heaving.
Sitting at a desk on the other side of the room is Rose Walker. She looks up in surprise at the noise. When she sees who it is, she startles, and slowly lowers the book she had been studying.
"What are you doing here?" she asks quietly.
The Dead Ringer draws a dagger and springs across the room. In an instant he is lunging across the desk raising the tip of the dagger to her throat and reaching for the back of her neck to draw her toward the point.
His hand passes through her head.
The silent assassin's composure finally breaks as he flinches and moans out loud, "Wha-"
Walker smirks and says coolly, "Good to know."
"Snap."
A sudden smell of burning oil, a bright light and a flash of heat behind him. A hand grabs the Ringer from behind even as he turns. He adjusts his grip on the knife and spins toward his assailant.
"Snap."
The library disappears and they are plunged into darkness. The only light is his attacker's lit torch. For a brief second, he can see his foe, their face distorted by the flickering light and the dancing shadows caused by the torch. It's the short one with the blonde hair. Maddox. The Ringer slashes at them, but they leap back and throw the torch at his face. He dodges and it falls to the ground, sputters, and nearly goes out.
From the darkness, "Snap."
And then silence.
The Dead Ringer waits, tense as a coiled spring, for something or someone to leap out of the shadows at him. But nothing happens. He is alone.
He picks up the torch and looks around. Solid, dusty stone floor, about five feet by six feet. Low stone ceiling. Stone brick walls. No door. No windows. No exit.
In the corner is a tiny desk holding a dust covered book and a spent candlestick. A human skeleton sits behind the desk, slumped against the wall.
The Ringer screams out loud in anger.
Outside his tomb, his voice echoes impotently and unheard throughout the tunnels below the ruins of the abandoned church.
EOF

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@ -17,9 +17,12 @@ It is kind of a serialized novelization of a solo roleplaying game I'm playing u
## Contact ## Contact
email: dozens@tilde.team Please reach out and say hello!
mastodon: @dozens@tiny.tilde.website
irc: dozens @ tidle.chat, libera.chat - email: dozens@tilde.team
- mastodon: @dozens@tiny.tilde.website
- irc: dozens @ tidle.chat, libera.chat
- discord: dozens#5497
<!-- <!--
SPELLS SPELLS
@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ RITUALS
//--> //-->
## Iofi ## Cleric
Iofi (she/her) Iofi (she/her)
@ -57,9 +60,10 @@ peace perfection
- Equipment - Equipment
- Janice, A two-headed turtle, Tiny God of Doors and Tides - Janice, A two-headed turtle, Tiny God of Doors and Tides
- Ceremonial Hammer (d6) - Ceremonial Hammer (d6)
- Eulogy (XP: 2) - Eulogy (XP: 1)
- Suvive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, landing some smashing blows with your glass hammer - Suvive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, landing some smashing blows with your glass hammer
- Get through Madam Walker's Supper Club and convince her to help find Blackguard - Get through Madam Walker's Supper Club and convince her to help find Blackguard
- Bring somebody back to life! (Ep. 5)
CORE ABILITY: CORE ABILITY:
@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ Gemini: Your god has a second Domain, complementary in some way to the first.
Offerings: Make offerings to step up the Domain Die. Minor offerings last for a single statement, significant ones last for a day, and major offerings like establishing a church and congregation last indefinitely. Offerings: Make offerings to step up the Domain Die. Minor offerings last for a single statement, significant ones last for a day, and major offerings like establishing a church and congregation last indefinitely.
</details> </details>
## Maddox ## Thief
Maddox (they/them) Maddox (they/them)

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[subscribe to episodes](episodes.xml) [subscribe to episodes](episodes.xml)
<!-- BEGIN //--> <!-- BEGIN //-->
- <time>2022-09-18</time> - [00006. Bone and Feather](00006-bone-feather.html)
- <time>2022-09-10</time> - [00005. Dead Ringer](00005-ringer.html) - <time>2022-09-10</time> - [00005. Dead Ringer](00005-ringer.html)
- <time>2022-09-04</time> - [00004. Pinky](00004-pinky.html) - <time>2022-09-04</time> - [00004. Pinky](00004-pinky.html)
- <time>2022-09-03</time> - [00003. The Hand](00003-hand.html) - <time>2022-09-03</time> - [00003. The Hand](00003-hand.html)

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[subscribe to updates](journal.xml) [subscribe to updates](journal.xml)
<!-- BEGIN //--> <!-- BEGIN //-->
## <time>2022-09-10</time> - 00005 Ringer ## <time>2022-09-18</time> - 00006 Bone and Feather
🎶 [Minotaur - Thee Oh Sees](https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=aeD3-sdGf1c)
The Dead Ringer plays the part of both Theseus and Forunato in this episode. And Iofi is a more clever Daedalus, for her labyrinth successfully delivers the villain into the hands of the Minotaur to be immured as revenge.
Or is it just that this Minotaur is a more competent and capable monster?
In other news, we now have some old church ruins to play around with! I guess maybe I should make a pantheon?
## <time>2022-09-10</time> - 00005 Climax
So the dice insisted on telling an intense story by the end of this episode. So the dice insisted on telling an intense story by the end of this episode.
@ -20,7 +30,7 @@ Quite a climax! Can't wait to see what happens next.
It didn't even occur to me for a long time that Iofi might be able to do a resurrection, despite her being a cleric. It was a difficult roll because it was a big miracle. And she *barely* pulled it off. But yay! Meadowgloom lives! For now. It didn't even occur to me for a long time that Iofi might be able to do a resurrection, despite her being a cleric. It was a difficult roll because it was a big miracle. And she *barely* pulled it off. But yay! Meadowgloom lives! For now.
## <time>2022-09-05</time> - 00005 Ringer ## <time>2022-09-05</time> - 00005 The Hand
Yes, the Hand are luchadors. Yes, the Hand are luchadors.

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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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<header id="title-block-header"> <header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">00001. Cleric + Thief</h1> <h1 class="title">00001. Cleric + Thief</h1>
<p class="subtitle">Introducing Iofi and Maddox</p> <p class="subtitle">Introducing Iofi and Maddox</p>
</header> </header>
<p>Iofi knocks on the front door of the apartment while Maddox turns and faces the other way, inspecting the immaculate lawn and the empty tree-lined street.</p> <p>Iofi knocks on the front door of the apartment while Maddox turns and
<p>“Does the formality of it ever strike you as funny?” asks Maddox. They are short and fidgety, with a ruddy face, small squinting eyes, and short shaggy blonde hair.</p> faces the other way, inspecting the immaculate lawn and the empty
<p>Iofi drags the fingers of one hand gently across the face of the door. Her other hand starts to reach instinctively for the satchel around her waist, but then the returns it to her side after all. “Funny?” she echoes quietly, almost to herself. She is tall, almost gaunt. Her long dark hair is pulled back into a low tight bun. She has slightly buck teeth and a slight overbite, and large dark eyes with hooded eyelids.</p> tree-lined street.</p>
<p>“Knocking like that. Like you need permission.” Maddox continues quietly, their voice just above a whisper. “You don’t find it funny?”</p> <p>“Does the formality of it ever strike you as funny?” asks Maddox.
<p>“It’s the right thing to do,” Iofi answers, turning her head slightly toward her partner.</p> They are short and fidgety, with a ruddy face, small squinting eyes, and
<p>Maddox turns from the lawn, satisfied for now, and leans over the railing to peer in through the window.</p> short shaggy blonde hair.</p>
<p>“The right thing to do,” they counter, “is whatever gets you what you need.” They squint, trying to make out the inside of the room through the thin curtains. “And right now, we need to find the merchant.”</p> <p>Iofi drags the fingers of one hand gently across the face of the
<p>The door opens a crack just as Iofi raises her fist to knock a second time.</p> door. Her other hand starts to reach instinctively for the satchel
<p>Maddox quickly straightens up and tries not to look like they were just spying through the window.</p> around her waist, but then the returns it to her side after all.
<p>In the doorway is a small bald man with a thin, meticulous goatee and mustache. He stands in the small space between the door and its frame and peers out at them with large watery eyes and a gaping mouth like a goldfish.</p> “Funny?” she echoes quietly, almost to herself. She is tall, almost
gaunt. Her long dark hair is pulled back into a low tight bun. She has
slightly buck teeth and a slight overbite, and large dark eyes with
hooded eyelids.</p>
<p>“Knocking like that. Like you need permission.” Maddox continues
quietly, their voice just above a whisper. “You don’t find it
funny?”</p>
<p>“It’s the right thing to do,” Iofi answers, turning her head slightly
toward her partner.</p>
<p>Maddox turns from the lawn, satisfied for now, and leans over the
railing to peer in through the window.</p>
<p>“The right thing to do,” they counter, “is whatever gets you what you
need.” They squint, trying to make out the inside of the room through
the thin curtains. “And right now, we need to find the merchant.”</p>
<p>The door opens a crack just as Iofi raises her fist to knock a second
time.</p>
<p>Maddox quickly straightens up and tries not to look like they were
just spying through the window.</p>
<p>In the doorway is a small bald man with a thin, meticulous goatee and
mustache. He stands in the small space between the door and its frame
and peers out at them with large watery eyes and a gaping mouth like a
goldfish.</p>
<p>“Yes?” he greets them with a soft, high voice.</p> <p>“Yes?” he greets them with a soft, high voice.</p>
<p>“Hello,” Iofi smiles, revealing an impressive amount of teeth, her mouth giving a round shape to her vowels. “We’re looking for Mister Dedric Blackguard. Is he available?”</p> <p>“Hello,” Iofi smiles, revealing an impressive amount of teeth, her
<p>Maddox clears their throat and tugs on their sleeves on the front porch. The small man glances at them briefly before flicking his eyes back to Iofi.</p> mouth giving a round shape to her vowels. “We’re looking for Mister
Dedric Blackguard. Is he available?”</p>
<p>Maddox clears their throat and tugs on their sleeves on the front
porch. The small man glances at them briefly before flicking his eyes
back to Iofi.</p>
<p>“No, I’m afraid Mister Blackguard is not here at the moment.”</p> <p>“No, I’m afraid Mister Blackguard is not here at the moment.”</p>
<p>Maddox asks, “Do you know when he will be back?” their voice a little raspy as they speak up to be heard.</p> <p>Maddox asks, “Do you know when he will be back?” their voice a little
<p>“I’m afraid not,” he answers in his childlike voice. There is a heavy thump and a scrape from somewhere behind the door. The doorman flinches and smiles nervously.</p> raspy as they speak up to be heard.</p>
<p>Maddox narrows their eyes, and concern appears on Iofi’s face. “Is everything alright?” she asks. The doorman’s eyes flit quickly behind the door.</p> <p>“I’m afraid not,” he answers in his childlike voice. There is a heavy
<p>“Yes! Yes, everything is quite alright. It, erm. It was just the cat!”</p> thump and a scrape from somewhere behind the door. The doorman flinches
and smiles nervously.</p>
<p>Maddox narrows their eyes, and concern appears on Iofi’s face. “Is
everything alright?” she asks. The doorman’s eyes flit quickly behind
the door.</p>
<p>“Yes! Yes, everything is quite alright. It, erm. It was just the
cat!”</p>
<p>“The cat,” echoes Iofi.</p> <p>“The cat,” echoes Iofi.</p>
<p>“Look,” the doorman squeaks, “I really must be going. I really am busy. I’ll tell Mister Blackguard you were here. Miss?”</p> <p>“Look,” the doorman squeaks, “I really must be going. I really am
<p>“Iofi.” She gestures behind her, “and Maddox. From the office of the Governor.”</p> busy. I’ll tell Mister Blackguard you were here. Miss?”</p>
<p>The doorman meeps quietly again. “The governor? Oh, um. Yes, very good. I will let Mister Blackguard know. Now, as I said, I am very busy. Good day!”</p> <p>“Iofi.” She gestures behind her, “and Maddox. From the office of the
<p>The small man closes the door in their faces. There is the sound of a key turning in a lock, and the sliding of a bolt.</p> Governor.”</p>
<p>“Do you think he’s in trouble in there?” Maddox asks Iofi, their voice a little more melodious as it drops to its natural register just above a whisper.</p> <p>The doorman meeps quietly again. “The governor? Oh, um. Yes, very
<p>“If he is, it would be the right thing to do to help him, wouldn’t it?” Iofi answers dipping her hand into her satchel.</p> good. I will let Mister Blackguard know. Now, as I said, I am very busy.
<p>“I’m more concerned about losing a lead than doing the right thing, but you know. Tell yourself what you need to hear.”</p> Good day!”</p>
<p>Iofi places her free hand on the door and when she speaks next, she does so with two voices at once. “<span class="smallcaps">This door is unlocked</span>.” She lowers her hand to the door handle and turns it, and steps aside making room for Maddox at her side as she silently opens it a crack.</p> <p>The small man closes the door in their faces. There is the sound of a
<p>Maddox peers into the empty foyer on the other side of the door. There is a staircase leading up to the second level, a hallway receding away from them toward the back of the house, and a large doorway on either side.</p> key turning in a lock, and the sliding of a bolt.</p>
<p>A second Maddox walks briskly but silently in from the room on the right and looks expectantly at the two of them lurking in the doorway. The Maddox on the front porch nods at Iofi, who pushes the front door open wide enough for them both to fit through.</p> <p>“Do you think he’s in trouble in there?” Maddox asks Iofi, their
<p>Maddox tells the other Maddox, “Continue searching the downstairs. If everything’s clear, head back to the safe house and wait for us there.” Maddox nods, and silently continues through the doorway on the left into a dining room.</p> voice a little more melodious as it drops to its natural register just
<p>Maddox turns back to Iofi and nods questioningly toward the stairs. They go first, a dagger suddenly in each hand. She pulls a glass rod out of her satchel, something between a large hammer and small club, and follows.</p> above a whisper.</p>
<p>At the top of the stairs is a hall with four rooms. Two to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead.</p> <p>“If he is, it would be the right thing to do to help him, wouldn’t
<p>Muffled voices drift down the hall from the room at the far end of the hall.</p> it?” Iofi answers dipping her hand into her satchel.</p>
<p>Maddox and Iofi creep forward. One of the voices is the high, soft, trembling voice of the doorman. The other voice is low, calm, and commanding.</p> <p>“I’m more concerned about losing a lead than doing the right thing,
but you know. Tell yourself what you need to hear.”</p>
<p>Iofi places her free hand on the door and when she speaks next, she
does so with two voices at once. “<span class="smallcaps">This door is
unlocked</span>.” She lowers her hand to the door handle and turns it,
and steps aside making room for Maddox at her side as she silently opens
it a crack.</p>
<p>Maddox peers into the empty foyer on the other side of the door.
There is a staircase leading up to the second level, a hallway receding
away from them toward the back of the house, and a large doorway on
either side.</p>
<p>A second Maddox walks briskly but silently in from the room on the
right and looks expectantly at the two of them lurking in the doorway.
The Maddox on the front porch nods at Iofi, who pushes the front door
open wide enough for them both to fit through.</p>
<p>Maddox tells the other Maddox, “Continue searching the downstairs. If
everything’s clear, head back to the safe house and wait for us there.”
Maddox nods, and silently continues through the doorway on the left into
a dining room.</p>
<p>Maddox turns back to Iofi and nods questioningly toward the stairs.
They go first, a dagger suddenly in each hand. She pulls a glass rod out
of her satchel, something between a large hammer and small club, and
follows.</p>
<p>At the top of the stairs is a hall with four rooms. Two to the left,
one to the right, and one straight ahead.</p>
<p>Muffled voices drift down the hall from the room at the far end of
the hall.</p>
<p>Maddox and Iofi creep forward. One of the voices is the high, soft,
trembling voice of the doorman. The other voice is low, calm, and
commanding.</p>
<p>“I told you I don’t know where he is!”</p> <p>“I told you I don’t know where he is!”</p>
<p>“And I told you that is not an acceptable answer.” Maddox frowns at the voice’s western accent and glances back and up at Iofi. She nods, a single line of concern creasing her brow. She heard it to.</p> <p>“And I told you that is not an acceptable answer.” Maddox frowns at
<p>“He has something of ours,” the voice continues. “We need it back.”</p> the voice’s western accent and glances back and up at Iofi. She nods, a
<p>The doorman yelps and there is the sound of a brief scuffle, and a thump, and the doorman cries out in despair.</p> single line of concern creasing her brow. She heard it to.</p>
<p>Iofi leans over Maddox and places her hand on the door. “Ready?” They crouch and raise their daggers. “<span class="smallcaps">We’re already on the other side.</span>”</p> <p>“He has something of ours,” the voice continues. “We need it
<p>In an instant, Maddox and Iofi find themselves on the other side of the door. Two thugs are holding the terrified doorman down in a chair. One is pressing his hand flat down on the table in front of him, fingers splayed. A third brute is standing before the doorman, a cleaver in his hand, raised over the doorman’s fingers.</p> back.”</p>
<p>Maddox flings one dagger at the brute with the cleaver. It lodges in the meat of his shoulder and he howls. All eyes turn toward the door, which remains closed and locked.</p> <p>The doorman yelps and there is the sound of a brief scuffle, and a
<p>Iofi points her rod at the brute and says, “<span class="smallcaps">That’s not a cleaver, that’s an eel!</span>” The brute watches in amazement as the cleaver in his hand bends and warps and elongates and grows flesh and teeth. Teeth that the eel sink into the brute’s forearm.</p> thump, and the doorman cries out in despair.</p>
<p>The brute cries out and throws the eel to the ground and stumbles back.</p> <p>Iofi leans over Maddox and places her hand on the door. “Ready?” They
<p>The doorman scoots quickly away as the thugs release him and lunge toward Maddox, the first drawing a shortsword, and the second swinging an axe.</p> crouch and raise their daggers. “<span class="smallcaps">We’re already
<p>Maddox parries the shortsword, but the axe slices them across the ribs. They cry out.</p> on the other side.</span>”</p>
<p>“Maddox!” Iofi cries and brings her club down on the thug. It’s an awkward swing and glances off the thug’s arm, but it lands a substantially more solid blow than a frail glass rod ought to.</p> <p>In an instant, Maddox and Iofi find themselves on the other side of
<p>Maddox dashes to the side and throws another dagger, striking up to the hilt in the brute’s chest. He clutches the blade and staggers to the floor.</p> the door. Two thugs are holding the terrified doorman down in a chair.
<p>The thug with the shortsword hesitates and takes a step back. But the one with the axe charges forward and swings at Iofi. The blow is heavy and rattles her bones, but she deflects it and swings her club again, this time cracking the thug in the head. He stumbles.</p> One is pressing his hand flat down on the table in front of him, fingers
<p>Maddox, having produced another dagger, lunges for thug with the axe, but the slash in his ribs is so painful that he is unable to strike a killing blow. Still, the axeman cries and stumbles.</p> splayed. A third brute is standing before the doorman, a cleaver in his
<p>Seeing his opportunity, the swordsman darts forward and pierces Maddox clean through the shoulder. Maddox cries out, barely still standing.</p> hand, raised over the doorman’s fingers.</p>
<p>Iofi advances in a fury and the swordsman falls beneath a flurry of blows.</p> <p>Maddox flings one dagger at the brute with the cleaver. It lodges in
<p>Maddox collapses in her arms and she drags him over to the doorman, who is huddling wide-eyed in the corner.</p> the meat of his shoulder and he howls. All eyes turn toward the door,
<p>The thug with the axe staggers forward and raises the blade over his head as Maddox reaches out and weakly grabs the doorman by his lapel. Iofi looks up and makes eye contact with the axeman as he grunts and swings down on them. At the same time Maddox whispers, “Snap,” and the three of them blink out of existence.</p> which remains closed and locked.</p>
<p>The axe buries itself in the floor, and the axeman looks around the room, empty except for him and his dead and dying comrades.</p> <p>Iofi points her rod at the brute and says, “<span
class="smallcaps">That’s not a cleaver, that’s an eel!</span>” The brute
watches in amazement as the cleaver in his hand bends and warps and
elongates and grows flesh and teeth. Teeth that the eel sink into the
brute’s forearm.</p>
<p>The brute cries out and throws the eel to the ground and stumbles
back.</p>
<p>The doorman scoots quickly away as the thugs release him and lunge
toward Maddox, the first drawing a shortsword, and the second swinging
an axe.</p>
<p>Maddox parries the shortsword, but the axe slices them across the
ribs. They cry out.</p>
<p>“Maddox!” Iofi cries and brings her club down on the thug. It’s an
awkward swing and glances off the thug’s arm, but it lands a
substantially more solid blow than a frail glass rod ought to.</p>
<p>Maddox dashes to the side and throws another dagger, striking up to
the hilt in the brute’s chest. He clutches the blade and staggers to the
floor.</p>
<p>The thug with the shortsword hesitates and takes a step back. But the
one with the axe charges forward and swings at Iofi. The blow is heavy
and rattles her bones, but she deflects it and swings her club again,
this time cracking the thug in the head. He stumbles.</p>
<p>Maddox, having produced another dagger, lunges for thug with the axe,
but the slash in his ribs is so painful that he is unable to strike a
killing blow. Still, the axeman cries and stumbles.</p>
<p>Seeing his opportunity, the swordsman darts forward and pierces
Maddox clean through the shoulder. Maddox cries out, barely still
standing.</p>
<p>Iofi advances in a fury and the swordsman falls beneath a flurry of
blows.</p>
<p>Maddox collapses in her arms and she drags him over to the doorman,
who is huddling wide-eyed in the corner.</p>
<p>The thug with the axe staggers forward and raises the blade over his
head as Maddox reaches out and weakly grabs the doorman by his lapel.
Iofi looks up and makes eye contact with the axeman as he grunts and
swings down on them. At the same time Maddox whispers, “Snap,” and the
three of them blink out of existence.</p>
<p>The axe buries itself in the floor, and the axeman looks around the
room, empty except for him and his dead and dying comrades.</p>
<hr /> <hr />
<p>They arrive in a heap on the floor in safe house. Other Maddox is standing over them. They look gravely concerned, but they don’t move forward to help them.</p> <p>They arrive in a heap on the floor in safe house. Other Maddox is
standing over them. They look gravely concerned, but they don’t move
forward to help them.</p>
<p>“I saw,” they say softly. “I already called for help.”</p> <p>“I saw,” they say softly. “I already called for help.”</p>
<p>Iofi, still holding Maddox in her arms, looks up at the other Maddox. “Thank you,” she says.</p> <p>Iofi, still holding Maddox in her arms, looks up at the other Maddox.
<p>The doorman whimpers and tries to crawl away on all fours, and vomits on the ground.</p> “Thank you,” she says.</p>
<p>Maddox groans, doubled over in pain. From between gritted teeth they hiss, “Wait outside. Stand watch.”</p> <p>The doorman whimpers and tries to crawl away on all fours, and vomits
on the ground.</p>
<p>Maddox groans, doubled over in pain. From between gritted teeth they
hiss, “Wait outside. Stand watch.”</p>
<p>Other Maddox nods and silently exits the room.</p> <p>Other Maddox nods and silently exits the room.</p>
<p>Maddox drags himself over to the doorman, the two of them both on the ground, and they shove him onto his back. From somewhere, they have produced another long bladed dagger. “Now,” they whisper, holding the tip near the doorman’s face. “Whatever it is you were about to tell those goons, you’re going to tell us instead. Where’s Blackguard?”</p> <p>Maddox drags himself over to the doorman, the two of them both on the
<p>Iofi, her gown covered in blood, stands up and walks over to Maddox and the whimpering doorman.</p> ground, and they shove him onto his back. From somewhere, they have
<p>She crouches down and reaches into her satchel and pulls out a turtle shell the size of her hand. It is jet black, with a bright orange dotted line around the edge. She places it on the ground next to the doorman, and watches it intently.</p> produced another long bladed dagger. “Now,” they whisper, holding the
<p>The doorman glances from Maddox to it, as first one and then another head pokes out from the shell. One looks at the doorman curiously, and the other ignores him, looking as much in the opposite direction as is possible.</p> tip near the doorman’s face. “Whatever it is you were about to tell
<p>“Yes,” Iofi nods and says to the doorman, eyes still on the turtle, “I suggest you tell them what they want to know. It would be the right thing to do.”</p> those goons, you’re going to tell us instead. Where’s Blackguard?”</p>
<p>Iofi, her gown covered in blood, stands up and walks over to Maddox
and the whimpering doorman.</p>
<p>She crouches down and reaches into her satchel and pulls out a turtle
shell the size of her hand. It is jet black, with a bright orange dotted
line around the edge. She places it on the ground next to the doorman,
and watches it intently.</p>
<p>The doorman glances from Maddox to it, as first one and then another
head pokes out from the shell. One looks at the doorman curiously, and
the other ignores him, looking as much in the opposite direction as is
possible.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Iofi nods and says to the doorman, eyes still on the turtle,
“I suggest you tell them what they want to know. It would be the right
thing to do.”</p>
<p>EOF</p> <p>EOF</p>
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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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<h1 class="title">00002. Meadowgloom</h1> <h1 class="title">00002. Meadowgloom</h1>
<p class="subtitle">Fucking Blackguard</p> <p class="subtitle">Fucking Blackguard</p>
</header> </header>
<p>“You really don’t know where Blackguard is,” asks Maddox.</p> <p>“You really don’t know where Blackguard is,” asks Maddox.</p>
<p>The four of them are sitting around a table in the safe house. Maddox, the bone doctor, Iofi, and Meadowgloom.</p> <p>The four of them are sitting around a table in the safe house.
<p>The bone doctor, summoned by Other Maddox, is extraordinarily pale. They have just finished stitching Maddox up, and are now wrapping them up in a bandage. They also set out some salve for Iofi, who is rubbing it into her boney forearms. They ache deeply from when she took the brunt of the blow from the axeman.</p> Maddox, the bone doctor, Iofi, and Meadowgloom.</p>
<p>The bone doctor, summoned by Other Maddox, is extraordinarily pale.
They have just finished stitching Maddox up, and are now wrapping them
up in a bandage. They also set out some salve for Iofi, who is rubbing
it into her boney forearms. They ache deeply from when she took the
brunt of the blow from the axeman.</p>
<p>“I really don’t,” confesses Meadowgloom in his high, soft voice.</p> <p>“I really don’t,” confesses Meadowgloom in his high, soft voice.</p>
<p>Meadowgloom is Blackguard’s <em>majordomo</em>, head of his household staff. Up until recently he was quite happy and content with his job.</p> <p>Meadowgloom is Blackguard’s <em>majordomo</em>, head of his household
<p>That was before, of course, he was detained and threatened with bodily dismemberment by three thugs who broke into the Blackguard house. Before being rescused by the tall dark haired woman and the short fair haired man, both of whom command strange magicks and are also quite handy with a hammer and a knife, respectively. Which makes them in some ways even scarier than the burglars were. And ultimately they also eventually threatened him with violence.</p> staff. Up until recently he was quite happy and content with his
job.</p>
<p>That was before, of course, he was detained and threatened with
bodily dismemberment by three thugs who broke into the Blackguard house.
Before being rescused by the tall dark haired woman and the short fair
haired man, both of whom command strange magicks and are also quite
handy with a hammer and a knife, respectively. Which makes them in some
ways even scarier than the burglars were. And ultimately they also
eventually threatened him with violence.</p>
<p>All because of Blackguard.</p> <p>All because of Blackguard.</p>
<p>Blackguard, whose investments, speculations, and ventures have made him one of the most conspicuously wealthy merchants in Kriteach. Possibly on the entire island.</p> <p>Blackguard, whose investments, speculations, and ventures have made
<p>Blackguard, who over the last month started becoming increasingly anxious and secretive. Holding meetings at odd hours behind closed doors. Spending more and more time alone with his books. As though he knew the net was tightening, drawing closed around him.</p> him one of the most conspicuously wealthy merchants in Kriteach.
<p>Blackguard, who disappeared three days ago and left Meadowgloom holding the proverbial bag. After years of service and loyalty.</p> Possibly on the entire island.</p>
<p>Blackguard, who over the last month started becoming increasingly
anxious and secretive. Holding meetings at odd hours behind closed
doors. Spending more and more time alone with his books. As though he
knew the net was tightening, drawing closed around him.</p>
<p>Blackguard, who disappeared three days ago and left Meadowgloom
holding the proverbial bag. After years of service and loyalty.</p>
<p>Fucking Blackguard.</p> <p>Fucking Blackguard.</p>
<p>“I don’t,” continues Meadowgloom. “But I can recreate his final days in the house for you. I can give you access to his books. His correspondence. Everything.”</p> <p>“I don’t,” continues Meadowgloom. “But I can recreate his final days
in the house for you. I can give you access to his books. His
correspondence. Everything.”</p>
<hr /> <hr />
<p>Meadowgloom’s confidence starts to waiver as the three of them walk back to the Blackguard house. It was his sanctuary mere days ago. But now the illusion of safety has been shattered, and when he thinks of returning he feels a knot of dread in the pit of his stomach. He doesn’t think he’ll ever feel at peace there again.</p> <p>Meadowgloom’s confidence starts to waiver as the three of them walk
back to the Blackguard house. It was his sanctuary mere days ago. But
now the illusion of safety has been shattered, and when he thinks of
returning he feels a knot of dread in the pit of his stomach. He doesn’t
think he’ll ever feel at peace there again.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know how right he is about that.</p> <p>He doesn’t know how right he is about that.</p>
<p>The street is blocked off. The house, in the middle of the block, is collapsed in on itself and continues to smoke and smolder slightly. It is blackened by soot, gutted by fire, and utterly soaked from the efforts of putting out the blaze.</p> <p>The street is blocked off. The house, in the middle of the block, is
<p>The fire brigade is now focused on putting out a neighboring apartment.</p> collapsed in on itself and continues to smoke and smolder slightly. It
<p>Meadowgloom moans helplessly and wordlessly. He was already mourning the psychological loss of his home. But he wasn’t prepared for its physical loss.</p> is blackened by soot, gutted by fire, and utterly soaked from the
efforts of putting out the blaze.</p>
<p>The fire brigade is now focused on putting out a neighboring
apartment.</p>
<p>Meadowgloom moans helplessly and wordlessly. He was already mourning
the psychological loss of his home. But he wasn’t prepared for its
physical loss.</p>
<p>“Shit,” curses Maddox.</p> <p>“Shit,” curses Maddox.</p>
<p>Iofi looks at them and frowns.</p> <p>Iofi looks at them and frowns.</p>
<p>“It’s a setback,” she offers.</p> <p>“It’s a setback,” she offers.</p>
<p>“It was our best and only lead,” they counter.</p> <p>“It was our best and only lead,” they counter.</p>
<p>Meadowgloom moans again and rushes past the barricade toward the house. He is stopped by the brigade, who won’t let him advance. Maddox gives him a moment, and then steps forward and gently pulls him away. They walk back in the direction from which they came. Meadowgloom, silent and dejected, flanked on either side by Maddox and Iofi. Nothing else to be done here.</p> <p>Meadowgloom moans again and rushes past the barricade toward the
house. He is stopped by the brigade, who won’t let him advance. Maddox
gives him a moment, and then steps forward and gently pulls him away.
They walk back in the direction from which they came. Meadowgloom,
silent and dejected, flanked on either side by Maddox and Iofi. Nothing
else to be done here.</p>
<p>“You’ll stay with us,” Iofi pats Meadowgloom on the arm.</p> <p>“You’ll stay with us,” Iofi pats Meadowgloom on the arm.</p>
<p>Maddox mumbles something under their breath and nods.</p> <p>Maddox mumbles something under their breath and nods.</p>
<p>“It’s the least we can do given the circumstances.”</p> <p>“It’s the least we can do given the circumstances.”</p>

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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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<h1 class="title">00003. The Hand</h1> <h1 class="title">00003. The Hand</h1>
<p class="subtitle">council of five</p> <p class="subtitle">council of five</p>
</header> </header>
<p>“They had accents,” Maddox explains. They and Iofi are in Count Dindrati’s library. They haven’t been invited to sit, so they both stand. The count is seated at a table by himself studying a board game. “They were from the west,” they continue.</p> <p>“They had accents,” Maddox explains. They and Iofi are in Count
<p>“Yes, yes.” Dindrati waves his hand dismissively. His thumb and first two fingers are scaly, and each ends in a pointed tip.</p> Dindrati’s library. They haven’t been invited to sit, so they both
stand. The count is seated at a table by himself studying a board game.
“They were from the west,” they continue.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes.” Dindrati waves his hand dismissively. His thumb and first
two fingers are scaly, and each ends in a pointed tip.</p>
<p>He picks up a piece from the board and moves it.</p> <p>He picks up a piece from the board and moves it.</p>
<p>“Your priorities have changed,” he says, finally looking up from the board. His wide, smooth face would probably be quite unremarkable were it not for the raised gold-colored scales on the side of his jaw, like beetle carapaces crawling up his left cheekbone and encircling his eye. That eye has no pupil, no iris. Just a solid pool the color of liquid, molten metal.</p> <p>“Your priorities have changed,” he says, finally looking up from the
<p>“I have reason to believe that the Hand may be involved in Blackguard’s disappearance.” Maddox shifts their weight back onto their heels. Iofi draws her shoulders back a little. “I want you to find out. And if it’s true, I want you to make them feel my disappointment.”</p> board. His wide, smooth face would probably be quite unremarkable were
<p>He turns back to the game. “Start with the Pinky,” he says and waves again, dismissing them.</p> it not for the raised gold-colored scales on the side of his jaw, like
<p>Iofi clears her throat and says, “Going after the Hand is not nearly the same as interviewing the butler of a rich merchant. We’ll need to renegotiate our contract.”</p> beetle carapaces crawling up his left cheekbone and encircling his eye.
<p>Dindrati sighs and nods, and presses himself up from his game. He turns around and crosses the room. He draws one claw-tipped finger across the spines of the books on the shelf.</p> That eye has no pupil, no iris. Just a solid pool the color of liquid,
molten metal.</p>
<p>“I have reason to believe that the Hand may be involved in
Blackguard’s disappearance.” Maddox shifts their weight back onto their
heels. Iofi draws her shoulders back a little. “I want you to find out.
And if it’s true, I want you to make them feel my disappointment.”</p>
<p>He turns back to the game. “Start with the Pinky,” he says and waves
again, dismissing them.</p>
<p>Iofi clears her throat and says, “Going after the Hand is not nearly
the same as interviewing the butler of a rich merchant. We’ll need to
renegotiate our contract.”</p>
<p>Dindrati sighs and nods, and presses himself up from his game. He
turns around and crosses the room. He draws one claw-tipped finger
across the spines of the books on the shelf.</p>
<p>He pulls down a thick journal and turns back to the duo.</p> <p>He pulls down a thick journal and turns back to the duo.</p>
<p>“Here,” he says, holding it out to Iofi. “This should be enough to balance the scales.”</p> <p>“Here,” he says, holding it out to Iofi. “This should be enough to
balance the scales.”</p>
<p>Iofi reaches out and takes the book from the count.</p> <p>Iofi reaches out and takes the book from the count.</p>
<p>“I’ll adjust your pay accordingly,” he concludes, sitting back down to the game.</p> <p>“I’ll adjust your pay accordingly,” he concludes, sitting back down
to the game.</p>
<hr /> <hr />
<p>The count nominally governs Kriteach County. He speaks with the authority of the king, and enforces his will with his own police force. But it is the Hand that in actuality runs the day to day operations of the city. They indulge in the standard practices of organized crime. Racketeering, bribery, extortion and the like. But they do so with the begrudging support of the citizens, because they also spend a significant amount of effort enforcing their own code of ethics. They investigate and punish breaches of conduct both within their own ranks, and also amongst the people. Theirs has become a sort of people’s court.</p> <p>The count nominally governs Kriteach County. He speaks with the
<p>The governing body of the Hand is a council of five. Hence the name. The individuals may change and come and go over the years. But the positions and the titles are always the same.</p> authority of the king, and enforces his will with his own police force.
<p>There is the Thumb, as in “under my”. They serve an executive function in the Hand, getting to set agendas and priorities and direction.</p> But it is the Hand that in actuality runs the day to day operations of
<p>The Index is the book keeper for the whole organization. His accountants and lawyers know all the secrets and how to protect them. And only he knows the extent and the contents, and the whereabouts, of the Hand’s coffers.</p> the city. They indulge in the standard practices of organized crime.
<p>There is no subtly to the Tall Man’s racket. His is enforcement and protection. Usually through muscle and brute force. Although his crew has been known to pull off a clandestine operation or two.</p> Racketeering, bribery, extortion and the like. But they do so with the
<p>The Dead Ringer employs a small number of spies. They broker in espionage, intrigue, disguise, and when necessary, assassination and disposal.</p> begrudging support of the citizens, because they also spend a
<p>And finally there is the Pinky–as in “wrapped around my little finger”–whose portfolio includes information and blackmail. Their network of spies is not necessarily limited to, but is largely comprised of, the working girls in the brothels. And their intel are the secrets that foolish men let slip while their head is on the pillow.</p> significant amount of effort enforcing their own code of ethics. They
<p>It is a well known secret that the current Pinky, one Madam Rose Walker, is the owner and proprietor of Madam Walker’s Supper Club. A charmingly seedy establishment where you can get a good bite to eat and then, if you pay a little more, you can head upstairs and have one of the girls for desert.</p> investigate and punish breaches of conduct both within their own ranks,
and also amongst the people. Theirs has become a sort of people’s
court.</p>
<p>The governing body of the Hand is a council of five. Hence the name.
The individuals may change and come and go over the years. But the
positions and the titles are always the same.</p>
<p>There is the Thumb, as in “under my”. They serve an executive
function in the Hand, getting to set agendas and priorities and
direction.</p>
<p>The Index is the book keeper for the whole organization. His
accountants and lawyers know all the secrets and how to protect them.
And only he knows the extent and the contents, and the whereabouts, of
the Hand’s coffers.</p>
<p>There is no subtly to the Tall Man’s racket. His is enforcement and
protection. Usually through muscle and brute force. Although his crew
has been known to pull off a clandestine operation or two.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer employs a small number of spies. They broker in
espionage, intrigue, disguise, and when necessary, assassination and
disposal.</p>
<p>And finally there is the Pinky–as in “wrapped around my little
finger”–whose portfolio includes information and blackmail. Their
network of spies is not necessarily limited to, but is largely comprised
of, the working girls in the brothels. And their intel are the secrets
that foolish men let slip while their head is on the pillow.</p>
<p>It is a well known secret that the current Pinky, one Madam Rose
Walker, is the owner and proprietor of Madam Walker’s Supper Club. A
charmingly seedy establishment where you can get a good bite to eat and
then, if you pay a little more, you can head upstairs and have one of
the girls for desert.</p>
<hr /> <hr />
<p>Iofi and Maddox spent the day preparing. The book that Count Dindrati gave them was a grimorie. A book of magic.</p> <p>Iofi and Maddox spent the day preparing. The book that Count Dindrati
<p>One of the rituals they prepared involved Iofi consuming the heart of an animal. Meadowgloom dutifully obtained and prepared the beast while the two of them continued to study. “Divination is more your thing than mine anyway,” Maddox said apologetically as Iofi frowned and suffered through eating the thing.</p> gave them was a grimorie. A book of magic.</p>
<p>And now here they are. Standing in the shadows outside the supper club in the southern part of the Lost Arch district, near the harbour.</p> <p>One of the rituals they prepared involved Iofi consuming the heart of
<p>Convention dictates they conduct their missions after hours. But “after hours” at a brothel is typically midday, which they agreed would leave them feeling a little exposed. So they opted for 3:00, the bewitching hour.</p> an animal. Meadowgloom dutifully obtained and prepared the beast while
<p>“Ready?” Iofi asks quietly. Maddox nods and the two of them step out of the shadows. Maddox grumbles once again at the lack of windows on the ground floor. They walk past the painted red front door and around to the back alley where the entrance to the kitchen is. Iofi reaches into her satchel to pet the black turtle as she walks up to the door. She places her hand on the door and speaks with two voices, “<span class="smallcaps">The door is open.</span>” She presses gently and the door swings open.</p> the two of them continued to study. “Divination is more your thing than
<p>She steps aside so that Maddox can slip in, and then follows them and closes the door shut behind them.</p> mine anyway,” Maddox said apologetically as Iofi frowned and suffered
through eating the thing.</p>
<p>And now here they are. Standing in the shadows outside the supper
club in the southern part of the Lost Arch district, near the
harbour.</p>
<p>Convention dictates they conduct their missions after hours. But
“after hours” at a brothel is typically midday, which they agreed would
leave them feeling a little exposed. So they opted for 3:00, the
bewitching hour.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Iofi asks quietly. Maddox nods and the two of them step out
of the shadows. Maddox grumbles once again at the lack of windows on the
ground floor. They walk past the painted red front door and around to
the back alley where the entrance to the kitchen is. Iofi reaches into
her satchel to pet the black turtle as she walks up to the door. She
places her hand on the door and speaks with two voices, “<span
class="smallcaps">The door is open.</span>” She presses gently and the
door swings open.</p>
<p>She steps aside so that Maddox can slip in, and then follows them and
closes the door shut behind them.</p>
<p>EOF</p> <p>EOF</p>
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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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<header id="title-block-header"> <header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">00004. Pinky</h1> <h1 class="title">00004. Pinky</h1>
<p class="subtitle">“wrapped around my little finger”</p> <p class="subtitle">“wrapped around my little finger”</p>
</header> </header>
<p>Maddox is alone, slipping silently through the house, while Iofi and another Maddox wait hidden in the kitchen.</p> <p>Maddox is alone, slipping silently through the house, while Iofi and
<p>In the dining hall, one of the girls startles them. But they talk their way past her.</p> another Maddox wait hidden in the kitchen.</p>
<p>In the dining hall, one of the girls startles them. But they talk
their way past her.</p>
<p>They climb the stairs at the end of the hall to the second level.</p> <p>They climb the stairs at the end of the hall to the second level.</p>
<p>When they get to the top of the stairs, a large, beefy guard jumps out and swings a fist at Maddox, but they dodge out of the way. Maddox swipes at him with a dagger, and the guard jumps back to avoid its point. The guard swings again and Maddox feints and stabs. The guard barely avoids the attack.</p> <p>When they get to the top of the stairs, a large, beefy guard jumps
<p>This time the guard lands what should be a direct blow, but his fist goes straight through the side of their skull. The guard stops and blinks a few times in confusion. Maddox whispers a single word, “Snap.”</p> out and swings a fist at Maddox, but they dodge out of the way. Maddox
<p>A second Maddox steps out of the shadows and stabs the guard in the ribs. Iofi lunges forward and strikes him in the head with her hammer, knocking him out.</p> swipes at him with a dagger, and the guard jumps back to avoid its
<p>Maddox tries the single door at the top of the stairs. It is locked. Iofi lays her hands on it and opens it, and they slip through.</p> point. The guard swings again and Maddox feints and stabs. The guard
<p>At the end of the hallway are two guards, on high alert due to the sound of the scuffle. They pounce, and Maddox turns and runs back down the hallway. They give chase and as they pass through the hallway, Maddox and Iofi attack from behind.</p> barely avoids the attack.</p>
<p>Iofi’s hammer knocks one out in a single blow. Maddox throws a dagger and catches the second one in the neck. He cries out, turns and jabs with his spear. Maddox takes a scratch from the spear, but then stabs again and the guard goes down.</p> <p>This time the guard lands what should be a direct blow, but his fist
<p>Maddox continues down the hall, leaving Maddox and Iofi behind. They pause to listen at doors as they go.</p> goes straight through the side of their skull. The guard stops and
<p>They finally arrive at Walker’s study. The lights are on. She is sitting at her desk reading papers and making notes in a journal.</p> blinks a few times in confusion. Maddox whispers a single word,
“Snap.”</p>
<p>A second Maddox steps out of the shadows and stabs the guard in the
ribs. Iofi lunges forward and strikes him in the head with her hammer,
knocking him out.</p>
<p>Maddox tries the single door at the top of the stairs. It is locked.
Iofi lays her hands on it and opens it, and they slip through.</p>
<p>At the end of the hallway are two guards, on high alert due to the
sound of the scuffle. They pounce, and Maddox turns and runs back down
the hallway. They give chase and as they pass through the hallway,
Maddox and Iofi attack from behind.</p>
<p>Iofi’s hammer knocks one out in a single blow. Maddox throws a dagger
and catches the second one in the neck. He cries out, turns and jabs
with his spear. Maddox takes a scratch from the spear, but then stabs
again and the guard goes down.</p>
<p>Maddox continues down the hall, leaving Maddox and Iofi behind. They
pause to listen at doors as they go.</p>
<p>They finally arrive at Walker’s study. The lights are on. She is
sitting at her desk reading papers and making notes in a journal.</p>
<p>Maddox slips silently into the room.</p> <p>Maddox slips silently into the room.</p>
<p>Rose Walker looks up and sets her papers down and sighs, “I obviously need to up my security.”</p> <p>Rose Walker looks up and sets her papers down and sighs, “I obviously
<p>“Not necessarily. There just aren’t really any doors that can keep us out,” Maddox replies with a nearly apologetic smile.</p> need to up my security.”</p>
<p>“Not necessarily. There just aren’t really any doors that can keep us
out,” Maddox replies with a nearly apologetic smile.</p>
<p>She smiles back and folds her hands together, waiting.</p> <p>She smiles back and folds her hands together, waiting.</p>
<p>“I’m looking for somebody,” Maddox continues. “His name’s Blackguard.”</p> <p>“I’m looking for somebody,” Maddox continues. “His name’s
<p>Walker unlaces her fingers, places her hands on the table, and stands.</p> Blackguard.”</p>
<p>“I’ve never heard him,” she says, walking around the desk and standing before Maddox. “He’s not one of my clients whoever he is. So why are you asking me?”</p> <p>Walker unlaces her fingers, places her hands on the table, and
stands.</p>
<p>“I’ve never heard him,” she says, walking around the desk and
standing before Maddox. “He’s not one of my clients whoever he is. So
why are you asking me?”</p>
<p>Maddox narrows their eyes.</p> <p>Maddox narrows their eyes.</p>
<p>In the hallway, Iofi holds the grimorie in both hands. Her lips move silently as she reads.</p> <p>In the hallway, Iofi holds the grimorie in both hands. Her lips move
<p>In the study, Walker’s smile fades and she falters, hesitates. Her confidence is suddenly, inexplicably shaken. Maddox smirks.</p> silently as she reads.</p>
<p>In the study, Walker’s smile fades and she falters, hesitates. Her
confidence is suddenly, inexplicably shaken. Maddox smirks.</p>
<p>They take a step forward. “Help us find Blackguard.”</p> <p>They take a step forward. “Help us find Blackguard.”</p>
<p>“I tell you I don’t know the man!” she protests, taking step back.</p> <p>“I tell you I don’t know the man!” she protests, taking step
<p>Iofi finally steps into the room. The grimorie has been placed back into her satchel. She holds her glass hammer at her side.</p> back.</p>
<p>“Then find out. Ask your girls.” Iofi says idly, looking around the room. She walks behind the desk and flips through the papers, pocketing one or two of them. Walker frowns.</p> <p>Iofi finally steps into the room. The grimorie has been placed back
into her satchel. She holds her glass hammer at her side.</p>
<p>“Then find out. Ask your girls.” Iofi says idly, looking around the
room. She walks behind the desk and flips through the papers, pocketing
one or two of them. Walker frowns.</p>
<p>“We’ll be back in three days,” Maddox warns.</p> <p>“We’ll be back in three days,” Maddox warns.</p>
<p>Iofi crosses the room again and lays one hand on the door to Walker’s study. “<span class="smallcaps">This door is now one of mine</span>,” she says. She opens it and on the other side is the safe house. Meadowgloom, setting out a tea set, looks up in surprise and lets out a squeak.</p> <p>Iofi crosses the room again and lays one hand on the door to Walker’s
<p>Maddox smiles. They follow Iofi through the door and close it behind them, leaving Walker alone once again in the study.</p> study. “<span class="smallcaps">This door is now one of mine</span>,”
<p>Walker composes herself and crosses the room and opens the door and looks at the empty hallway on the other side, exactly where it should be.</p> she says. She opens it and on the other side is the safe house.
Meadowgloom, setting out a tea set, looks up in surprise and lets out a
squeak.</p>
<p>Maddox smiles. They follow Iofi through the door and close it behind
them, leaving Walker alone once again in the study.</p>
<p>Walker composes herself and crosses the room and opens the door and
looks at the empty hallway on the other side, exactly where it should
be.</p>
<p>EOF</p> <p>EOF</p>
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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
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<h1 class="title">00005. Dead Ringer</h1> <h1 class="title">00005. Dead Ringer</h1>
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<header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">00006. Bone and Feather</h1>
</header>
<p>“Blackguard?” Maddox fumes incredulously, their voice croaking as it
always does whenever raised above conversational tones. “How did you get
here?” They demand. “How did you find us? Who did you lead here, you
fool!”</p>
<p>Iofi and Blackguard are gingerly laying Meadowgloom down in the
pantry, which is just barely large enough to accommodate his frame. He
rolls his large watery eyes around without focusing on much of anything.
He gasps for breath, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly like a
fish. He is deathly pale.</p>
<p>Iofi looks up over her shoulder and glares at Maddox. They continue
to fume, but quietly.</p>
<p>“Go get ready to snap inside the wall,” she says.</p>
<p>Maddox raises their eyebrows, a silent question.</p>
<p>“We shouldn’t move Meadowgloom any more. And,” her voices hardens, “I
want whoever did this.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure about this? You’re willing to be god’s hammer?”</p>
<p>She nods resolutely. “Take the bathroom door.” Maddox nods and
leaves.</p>
<p>“You,” she says, turning back to Blackguard, “stay here with
Meadowgloom.” Probably didn’t need to be said. The man in the top hat
has made no effort to leave his side, not even once.</p>
<p>“Stay quiet. We’ll be back for you when this is over.”</p>
<p>She stands up and exits the pantry and closes the door. She reaches
into her satchel and pulls out a trinket, a small tin key that might
open a music box. She stoops down and places it by the door frame, and
touches the door, and whispers, “<span
class="smallcaps">Hidden</span>.”</p>
<p>The door vanishes.</p>
<p>She makes a round through the apartment, blessing each door and
making small offerings.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>Outside, a small street urchin watches from the gutter as a figure
emerges from the shadows and approaches the door to the apartment. It
turns the handle and silently crosses the threshold. The urchin
vanishes.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer climbs the steps up to the apartment above the
bookstore. At the top of the stairs is a closed door, the door to the
living area. He listens and hears nothing. He tries the handle. It is
unlocked. He lets himself inside.</p>
<p>Inside is a plain, empty room. There is a small table and chairs in
the middle, and a door in each of the other three walls.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer listens and looks for signs of activity and, finding
none, steps into the room and looks around a little. He tries one of the
doors, opens it and peeks inside. The next room is plain and empty.
There is a small table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of
the other three walls.</p>
<p>He looks back at the current room. And back through the door. The
rooms are identical. He cautiously steps inside and closes the door
behind him. He tries another door, only to find the same room once
again.</p>
<p>He retraces his steps to the original room and opens the door to the
stairwell. On the other side is a plain, empty room. There is a small
table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of the other three
walls.</p>
<p>He closes the door quietly and backs up and looks around the room
again.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>Iofi and Maddox are sitting in the bedroom.</p>
<p>She is sitting on the bed, feeding a strawberry to the small,
two-headed, black turtle in her lap. Both heads are eating toward the
center from opposite sides, and both seem very content.</p>
<p>Maddox is sitting still staring blankly at the wall. They do that
when concentrating on their other eyes and ears. And now that they seem
to have more eyes and more ears than before, they do a lot more
staring.</p>
<p>They blink a few times and turn to Iofi.</p>
<p>“Okay,” they say in their quiet melodic voice. “We’re ready.”</p>
<p>Iofi nods, and strokes the turtle’s back.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>The Dead Ringer has been wandering through the single room labyrinth
for a while now. It is starting to take some effort to continue to
suppress his rising panic.</p>
<p>After an hour of trying doors at random, he opens a door onto a
lavish library. He almost cries out in relief at seeing something
different, and rushes into the room, closing the door behind him, his
chest heaving.</p>
<p>Sitting at a desk on the other side of the room is Rose Walker. She
looks up in surprise at the noise. When she sees who it is, she
startles, and slowly lowers the book she had been studying.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” she asks quietly.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer draws a dagger and springs across the room. In an
instant he is lunging across the desk raising the tip of the dagger to
her throat and reaching for the back of her neck to draw her toward the
point.</p>
<p>His hand passes through her head.</p>
<p>The silent assassin’s composure finally breaks as he flinches and
moans out loud, “Wha-”</p>
<p>Walker smirks and says coolly, “Good to know.”</p>
<p>“Snap.”</p>
<p>A sudden smell of burning oil, a bright light and a flash of heat
behind him. A hand grabs the Ringer from behind even as he turns. He
adjusts his grip on the knife and spins toward his assailant.</p>
<p>“Snap.”</p>
<p>The library disappears and they are plunged into darkness. The only
light is his attacker’s lit torch. For a brief second, he can see his
foe, their face distorted by the flickering light and the dancing
shadows caused by the torch. It’s the short one with the blonde hair.
Maddox. The Ringer slashes at them, but they leap back and throw the
torch at his face. He dodges and it falls to the ground, sputters, and
nearly goes out.</p>
<p>From the darkness, “Snap.”</p>
<p>And then silence.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer waits, tense as a coiled spring, for something or
someone to leap out of the shadows at him. But nothing happens. He is
alone.</p>
<p>He picks up the torch and looks around. Solid, dusty stone floor,
about five feet by six feet. Low stone ceiling. Stone brick walls. No
door. No windows. No exit.</p>
<p>In the corner is a tiny desk holding a dust covered book and a spent
candlestick. A human skeleton sits behind the desk, slumped against the
wall.</p>
<p>The Ringer screams out loud in anger.</p>
<p>Outside his tomb, his voice echoes impotently and unheard throughout
the tunnels below the ruins of the abandoned church.</p>
<p>EOF</p>
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Cleric + Thief
| <a href="index.html">Episodes</a>
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<header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">00006. Bone and Feather</h1>
</header>
<p>“Blackguard?” Maddox fumes incredulously, their voice croaking as it
always does whenever raised above conversational tones.</p>
<p>Iofi and Blackguard are gingerly laying Meadowgloom down in the
pantry, which is just barely large enough to accomodate his frame. He
rolls his large watery eyes around, but doesn’t seem to actually see
anything. He gasps for breath, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly
like a fish.</p>
<p>Iofi looks up over her shoulder and glares at Maddox. They continue
to fume, but quietly.</p>
<p>“We’re staying put,” she says.</p>
<p>Maddox raises their eyebrows.</p>
<p>“We shouldn’t be moving him. Besides,” her voices hardens. “I want
whoever did this.”</p>
<p>Maddox grins.</p>
<p>“You,” she says, turning back to Blackguard, “stay here with
Meadowgloom.” Probably didn’t need to be said. The man in the top hat
has made no effort to leave his side, not even once.</p>
<p>“Stay quiet. We’ll be back for when this is over.”</p>
<p>She stands up and exits the pantry and closes the door. She reaches
into her satchel and pulls out a trinket, a small tin key that might
open a music box. She stoops down and places it by the doorframe, and
touches the door, and whispers, “<span
class="smallcaps">Hidden</span>.”</p>
<p>The door vanishes.</p>
<p>Maddox makes themself scarce, making preparations of their own as
Iofi makes her rounds through the apartment, blessing each door and
making small offerings.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>Outside, a small street urchin watches from the gutter as a dark
figure emerges from the shadows and approaches the door to the
apartnment. The figure silently crosses the threshold, and the urchin
vanishes.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer climbs the steps up to the apartment above the
bookstore. At the top of the stairs is a closed door, the actual front
door to the apartment. He listens and hears nothing. He tries the
handle. It is unlocked. He lets himself inside.</p>
<p>Inside is a plain room.</p>
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Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
| <a href="index.html">Episodes</a> | <a href="index.html">Episodes</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
| <a href="journal.html">Journal</a> | <a href="journal.html">Journal</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
<header id="title-block-header"> <header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1> <h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1>
<p class="subtitle">About</p> <p class="subtitle">About</p>
@ -163,20 +182,32 @@ Cleric + Thief
<nav id="TOC" role="doc-toc"> <nav id="TOC" role="doc-toc">
<h2 id="toc-title">Contents</h2> <h2 id="toc-title">Contents</h2>
<ul> <ul>
<li><a href="#about">About</a></li> <li><a href="#about" id="toc-about">About</a></li>
<li><a href="#contact">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="#contact" id="toc-contact">Contact</a></li>
<li><a href="#iofi">Iofi</a></li> <li><a href="#cleric" id="toc-cleric">Cleric</a></li>
<li><a href="#maddox">Maddox</a></li> <li><a href="#thief" id="toc-thief">Thief</a></li>
<li><a href="#setting">Setting</a></li> <li><a href="#setting" id="toc-setting">Setting</a></li>
</ul> </ul>
</nav> </nav>
<h2 id="about">About</h2> <h2 id="about">About</h2>
<p>This is a fantasy story about a cleric and a thief embroiled in a web of politics, intrigue, religion, and justice.</p> <p>This is a fantasy story about a cleric and a thief embroiled in a web
<p>It is kind of a serialized novelization of a solo roleplaying game I’m playing using <a href="https://awkwardturtle.itch.io/brighter-worlds">Brighter Worlds</a> and the <a href="https://inflatablestudios.itch.io/one-page-solo-engine">One Page Solo Engine</a>.</p> of politics, intrigue, religion, and justice.</p>
<p>It is kind of a serialized novelization of a solo roleplaying game
I’m playing using <a
href="https://awkwardturtle.itch.io/brighter-worlds">Brighter Worlds</a>
and the <a
href="https://inflatablestudios.itch.io/one-page-solo-engine">One Page
Solo Engine</a>.</p>
<h2 id="contact">Contact</h2> <h2 id="contact">Contact</h2>
<p>email: dozens@tilde.team<br /> <p>Please reach out and say hello!</p>
mastodon: <span class="citation" data-cites="dozens">@dozens</span><span class="citation" data-cites="tiny.tilde.website">@tiny.tilde.website</span><br /> <ul>
irc: dozens @ tidle.chat, libera.chat</p> <li>email: dozens@tilde.team</li>
<li>mastodon: <span class="citation"
data-cites="dozens">@dozens</span><span class="citation"
data-cites="tiny.tilde.website">@tiny.tilde.website</span></li>
<li>irc: dozens @ tidle.chat, libera.chat</li>
<li>discord: dozens#5497</li>
</ul>
<!-- <!--
SPELLS SPELLS
@ -189,13 +220,14 @@ RITUALS
- Perfect Divination - [beast’s heart] Consume the still warm heart of a beast to be granted a perfect vision of the next day. Once, at any point during the next 24 hours, you may declare that what has happened was not reality, but actually part of your vision of the future. “Rewind” to a point of your choosing between your performance of the ritual and now. - Perfect Divination - [beast’s heart] Consume the still warm heart of a beast to be granted a perfect vision of the next day. Once, at any point during the next 24 hours, you may declare that what has happened was not reality, but actually part of your vision of the future. “Rewind” to a point of your choosing between your performance of the ritual and now.
//--> //-->
<h2 id="iofi">Iofi</h2> <h2 id="cleric">Cleric</h2>
<p>Iofi (she/her)</p> <p>Iofi (she/her)</p>
<blockquote> <blockquote>
<p>“How do we know what is good?”</p> <p>“How do we know what is good?”</p>
</blockquote> </blockquote>
<p>A scholar cleric questioning what is right.</p> <p>A scholar cleric questioning what is right.</p>
<p>tags: white blue structure order reason group order knowledge peace perfection</p> <p>tags: white blue structure order reason group order knowledge peace
perfection</p>
<details> <details>
<summary> <summary>
Spoilers: Character Sheet Spoilers: Character Sheet
@ -211,34 +243,53 @@ Spoilers: Character Sheet
<li>Janice, A two-headed turtle, Tiny God of Doors and Tides</li> <li>Janice, A two-headed turtle, Tiny God of Doors and Tides</li>
<li>Ceremonial Hammer (d6)</li> <li>Ceremonial Hammer (d6)</li>
</ul></li> </ul></li>
<li>Eulogy (XP: 2) <li>Eulogy (XP: 1)
<ul> <ul>
<li>Suvive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, landing some smashing blows with your glass hammer</li> <li>Suvive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, landing some
<li>Get through Madam Walker’s Supper Club and convince her to help find Blackguard</li> smashing blows with your glass hammer</li>
<li>Get through Madam Walker’s Supper Club and convince her to help find
Blackguard</li>
<li>Bring somebody back to life! (Ep. 5)</li>
</ul></li> </ul></li>
</ul> </ul>
<p>CORE ABILITY:</p> <p>CORE ABILITY:</p>
<p>When you attempt to make something true by speaking with the words of your god, you risk the universe rejecting your statement.</p> <p>When you attempt to make something true by speaking with the words of
<p>Adjust your Domain Die based on your intended outcome. If the Die would step below a d4 the statement is impossible, if it would step above a d12 it happens without a roll. Otherwise, roll it as a normal Save:</p> your god, you risk the universe rejecting your statement.</p>
<p>Adjust your Domain Die based on your intended outcome. If the Die
would step below a d4 the statement is impossible, if it would step
above a d12 it happens without a roll. Otherwise, roll it as a normal
Save:</p>
<ul> <ul>
<li>Win: The statement takes effect.</li> <li>Win: The statement takes effect.</li>
<li>Tie: Making the statement true saps your god’s power, your Domain die steps down.</li> <li>Tie: Making the statement true saps your god’s power, your Domain
die steps down.</li>
<li>Lose: The statement fails and your Domain die steps down.</li> <li>Lose: The statement fails and your Domain die steps down.</li>
</ul> </ul>
<p>Domain Die loss is restored through offerings or religious rites for your God.</p> <p>Domain Die loss is restored through offerings or religious rites for
<p>Step down your Domain Die if the statement: - Impacts things outside of your line of sight. - Directly contradicts the natural working of the world. - Describes a long lasting effect (step down twice if permanent). - Is a poor fit for your god’s Domain.</p> your God.</p>
<p>Step up your Domain Die if the statement: - Impacts only things you are touching. - Is copacetic with the natural working of the world. - Describes a fleeting effect. - Is a perfect fit for your god’s Domain.</p> <p>Step down your Domain Die if the statement: - Impacts things outside
of your line of sight. - Directly contradicts the natural working of the
world. - Describes a long lasting effect (step down twice if permanent).
- Is a poor fit for your god’s Domain.</p>
<p>Step up your Domain Die if the statement: - Impacts only things you
are touching. - Is copacetic with the natural working of the world. -
Describes a fleeting effect. - Is a perfect fit for your god’s
Domain.</p>
<p>ADVANCED ABILITIES:</p> <p>ADVANCED ABILITIES:</p>
<p>Gemini: Your god has a second Domain, complementary in some way to the first.</p> <p>Gemini: Your god has a second Domain, complementary in some way to
Offerings: Make offerings to step up the Domain Die. Minor offerings last for a single statement, significant ones last for a day, and major offerings like establishing a church and congregation last indefinitely. the first.</p>
Offerings: Make offerings to step up the Domain Die. Minor offerings
last for a single statement, significant ones last for a day, and major
offerings like establishing a church and congregation last indefinitely.
</details> </details>
<h2 id="maddox">Maddox</h2> <h2 id="thief">Thief</h2>
<p>Maddox (they/them)</p> <p>Maddox (they/them)</p>
<blockquote> <blockquote>
<p>“How do I get what I want?”</p> <p>“How do I get what I want?”</p>
</blockquote> </blockquote>
<p>A sneaky bastard who always gets what he wants.</p> <p>A sneaky bastard who always gets what he wants.</p>
<p>tags: black red independence chaos emotion individual ruthlesness action satisfaction freedom</p> <p>tags: black red independence chaos emotion individual ruthlesness
action satisfaction freedom</p>
<details> <details>
<summary> <summary>
Spoilers: Character Sheet Spoilers: Character Sheet
@ -250,24 +301,39 @@ Spoilers: Character Sheet
<li>GRIT 4</li> <li>GRIT 4</li>
<li>Equipment: <li>Equipment:
<ul> <ul>
<li>Daggers (d6), you always manage to have another one secreted about your person.</li> <li>Daggers (d6), you always manage to have another one secreted about
<li>Ring of 6 Bump Keys, roll a d6 to open a lock: (1: the lock and key break, 2-3: the lock or key breaks, 4-6: nothing breaks).</li> your person.</li>
<li>Ring of 6 Bump Keys, roll a d6 to open a lock: (1: the lock and key
break, 2-3: the lock or key breaks, 4-6: nothing breaks).</li>
<li>A Dramatic Looking Cloak</li> <li>A Dramatic Looking Cloak</li>
</ul></li> </ul></li>
<li>Eulogy (XP: 0) <li>Eulogy (XP: 0)
<ul> <ul>
<li>Survive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, snapping everybody out of harm’s way at the last moment</li> <li>Survive a deadly encounter with Cleaver and the Gang, snapping
<li>Get through Madam Walker’s Supper Club and convince her to help find Blackguard</li> everybody out of harm’s way at the last moment</li>
<li>Get through Madam Walker’s Supper Club and convince her to help find
Blackguard</li>
</ul></li> </ul></li>
</ul> </ul>
<p>CORE ABILITY:</p> <p>CORE ABILITY:</p>
<p>Illusory Self: Create a number of illusory clones up to the number of advanced abilities you have. Your clones are insubstantial and intangible but are otherwise indistinguishable from your real self. You do not have to declare which of you is real until it matters, and you share the senses of all clones simultaneously. When attacking with clones if you would deal Direct Damage you must either declare the clone is actually you or reveal it as an illusion.</p> <p>Illusory Self: Create a number of illusory clones up to the number of
advanced abilities you have. Your clones are insubstantial and
intangible but are otherwise indistinguishable from your real self. You
do not have to declare which of you is real until it matters, and you
share the senses of all clones simultaneously. When attacking with
clones if you would deal Direct Damage you must either declare the clone
is actually you or reveal it as an illusion.</p>
<p>ADVANCED ABILITIES:</p> <p>ADVANCED ABILITIES:</p>
<p>Snap: Recall your clone to yourself, or yourself to your clone from any distance. Anyone touching you while you do so is carried along.</p> <p>Snap: Recall your clone to yourself, or yourself to your clone from
Multifarious Copies: When you create your clone you may change its physical appearance. any distance. Anyone touching you while you do so is carried along.</p>
Multifarious Copies: When you create your clone you may change its
physical appearance.
</details> </details>
<h2 id="setting">Setting</h2> <h2 id="setting">Setting</h2>
<p>The world of Aulia is divided into the western continent, the eastern continent, and the middle continent.</p> <p>The world of Aulia is divided into the western continent, the eastern
<p>Our story takes in the city of Kriteach, a key port in the middle continent, part of the Kingdom of Sahtor’larath, whose monarch rules in the east.</p> continent, and the middle continent.</p>
<p>Our story takes in the city of Kriteach, a key port in the middle
continent, part of the Kingdom of Sahtor’larath, whose monarch rules in
the east.</p>
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<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/index.html</link><description>adventures of iofi and maddox</description><atom:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml"/> <link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/index.html</link><description>adventures of iofi and maddox</description><atom:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml"/>
<item>
<title>00006. Bone and Feather</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/00006-bone-feather.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun Sep 18 00:00:00 MDT 2022
</pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-18 00006. Bone and Feather</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<p>“Blackguard?” Maddox fumes incredulously, their voice croaking as it
always does whenever raised above conversational tones. “How did you get
here?” They demand. “How did you find us? Who did you lead here, you
fool!”</p>
<p>Iofi and Blackguard are gingerly laying Meadowgloom down in the
pantry, which is just barely large enough to accommodate his frame. He
rolls his large watery eyes around without focusing on much of anything.
He gasps for breath, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly like a
fish. He is deathly pale.</p>
<p>Iofi looks up over her shoulder and glares at Maddox. They continue
to fume, but quietly.</p>
<p>“Go get ready to snap inside the wall,” she says.</p>
<p>Maddox raises their eyebrows, a silent question.</p>
<p>“We shouldn’t move Meadowgloom any more. And,” her voices hardens, “I
want whoever did this.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure about this? You’re willing to be god’s hammer?”</p>
<p>She nods resolutely. “Take the bathroom door.” Maddox nods and
leaves.</p>
<p>“You,” she says, turning back to Blackguard, “stay here with
Meadowgloom.” Probably didn’t need to be said. The man in the top hat
has made no effort to leave his side, not even once.</p>
<p>“Stay quiet. We’ll be back for you when this is over.”</p>
<p>She stands up and exits the pantry and closes the door. She reaches
into her satchel and pulls out a trinket, a small tin key that might
open a music box. She stoops down and places it by the door frame, and
touches the door, and whispers, “<span
class="smallcaps">Hidden</span>.”</p>
<p>The door vanishes.</p>
<p>She makes a round through the apartment, blessing each door and
making small offerings.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>Outside, a small street urchin watches from the gutter as a figure
emerges from the shadows and approaches the door to the apartment. It
turns the handle and silently crosses the threshold. The urchin
vanishes.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer climbs the steps up to the apartment above the
bookstore. At the top of the stairs is a closed door, the door to the
living area. He listens and hears nothing. He tries the handle. It is
unlocked. He lets himself inside.</p>
<p>Inside is a plain, empty room. There is a small table and chairs in
the middle, and a door in each of the other three walls.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer listens and looks for signs of activity and, finding
none, steps into the room and looks around a little. He tries one of the
doors, opens it and peeks inside. The next room is plain and empty.
There is a small table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of
the other three walls.</p>
<p>He looks back at the current room. And back through the door. The
rooms are identical. He cautiously steps inside and closes the door
behind him. He tries another door, only to find the same room once
again.</p>
<p>He retraces his steps to the original room and opens the door to the
stairwell. On the other side is a plain, empty room. There is a small
table and chairs in the middle, and a door in each of the other three
walls.</p>
<p>He closes the door quietly and backs up and looks around the room
again.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>Iofi and Maddox are sitting in the bedroom.</p>
<p>She is sitting on the bed, feeding a strawberry to the small,
two-headed, black turtle in her lap. Both heads are eating toward the
center from opposite sides, and both seem very content.</p>
<p>Maddox is sitting still staring blankly at the wall. They do that
when concentrating on their other eyes and ears. And now that they seem
to have more eyes and more ears than before, they do a lot more
staring.</p>
<p>They blink a few times and turn to Iofi.</p>
<p>“Okay,” they say in their quiet melodic voice. “We’re ready.”</p>
<p>Iofi nods, and strokes the turtle’s back.</p>
<center>
<pre>~ * ~</pre>
</center>
<p>The Dead Ringer has been wandering through the single room labyrinth
for a while now. It is starting to take some effort to continue to
suppress his rising panic.</p>
<p>After an hour of trying doors at random, he opens a door onto a
lavish library. He almost cries out in relief at seeing something
different, and rushes into the room, closing the door behind him, his
chest heaving.</p>
<p>Sitting at a desk on the other side of the room is Rose Walker. She
looks up in surprise at the noise. When she sees who it is, she
startles, and slowly lowers the book she had been studying.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” she asks quietly.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer draws a dagger and springs across the room. In an
instant he is lunging across the desk raising the tip of the dagger to
her throat and reaching for the back of her neck to draw her toward the
point.</p>
<p>His hand passes through her head.</p>
<p>The silent assassin’s composure finally breaks as he flinches and
moans out loud, “Wha-”</p>
<p>Walker smirks and says coolly, “Good to know.”</p>
<p>“Snap.”</p>
<p>A sudden smell of burning oil, a bright light and a flash of heat
behind him. A hand grabs the Ringer from behind even as he turns. He
adjusts his grip on the knife and spins toward his assailant.</p>
<p>“Snap.”</p>
<p>The library disappears and they are plunged into darkness. The only
light is his attacker’s lit torch. For a brief second, he can see his
foe, their face distorted by the flickering light and the dancing
shadows caused by the torch. It’s the short one with the blonde hair.
Maddox. The Ringer slashes at them, but they leap back and throw the
torch at his face. He dodges and it falls to the ground, sputters, and
nearly goes out.</p>
<p>From the darkness, “Snap.”</p>
<p>And then silence.</p>
<p>The Dead Ringer waits, tense as a coiled spring, for something or
someone to leap out of the shadows at him. But nothing happens. He is
alone.</p>
<p>He picks up the torch and looks around. Solid, dusty stone floor,
about five feet by six feet. Low stone ceiling. Stone brick walls. No
door. No windows. No exit.</p>
<p>In the corner is a tiny desk holding a dust covered book and a spent
candlestick. A human skeleton sits behind the desk, slumped against the
wall.</p>
<p>The Ringer screams out loud in anger.</p>
<p>Outside his tomb, his voice echoes impotently and unheard throughout
the tunnels below the ruins of the abandoned church.</p>
<p>EOF</p>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item> <item>
<title>00005. Dead Ringer</title> <title>00005. Dead Ringer</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/00005-ringer.html</link> <link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/00005-ringer.html</link>

6
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9
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@ -161,6 +161,11 @@
</style> </style>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="episodes" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="episodes" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="journal" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="journal" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml">
<style>
html {
background: #efefef;
}
</style>
<!--[if lt IE 9]> <!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="//cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/html5shiv/3.7.3/html5shiv-printshiv.min.js"></script> <script src="//cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/html5shiv/3.7.3/html5shiv-printshiv.min.js"></script>
<![endif]--> <![endif]-->
@ -168,8 +173,8 @@
<body> <body>
Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
| <a href="index.html">Episodes</a> | <a href="index.html">Episodes</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
| <a href="journal.html">Journal</a> | <a href="journal.html">Journal</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
<header id="title-block-header"> <header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1> <h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1>
<p class="subtitle">Adventures of Iofi and Maddox</p> <p class="subtitle">Adventures of Iofi and Maddox</p>
@ -177,6 +182,8 @@ Cleric + Thief
<p><a href="episodes.xml">subscribe to episodes</a></p> <p><a href="episodes.xml">subscribe to episodes</a></p>
<!-- BEGIN //--> <!-- BEGIN //-->
<ul> <ul>
<li><time>2022-09-18</time> - <a href="00006-bone-feather.html">00006.
Bone and Feather</a></li>
<li><time>2022-09-10</time> - <a href="00005-ringer.html">00005. Dead <li><time>2022-09-10</time> - <a href="00005-ringer.html">00005. Dead
Ringer</a></li> Ringer</a></li>
<li><time>2022-09-04</time> - <a href="00004-pinky.html">00004. <li><time>2022-09-04</time> - <a href="00004-pinky.html">00004.

23
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@ -161,6 +161,11 @@
</style> </style>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="episodes" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="episodes" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="journal" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="journal" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml">
<style>
html {
background: #efefef;
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<![endif]--> <![endif]-->
@ -168,8 +173,8 @@
<body> <body>
Cleric + Thief Cleric + Thief
| <a href="index.html">Episodes</a> | <a href="index.html">Episodes</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
| <a href="journal.html">Journal</a> | <a href="journal.html">Journal</a>
| <a href="about.html">About</a>
<header id="title-block-header"> <header id="title-block-header">
<h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1> <h1 class="title">Cleric + Thief</h1>
<p class="subtitle">Journal</p> <p class="subtitle">Journal</p>
@ -178,7 +183,19 @@ Cleric + Thief
updates.</p> updates.</p>
<p><a href="journal.xml">subscribe to updates</a></p> <p><a href="journal.xml">subscribe to updates</a></p>
<!-- BEGIN //--> <!-- BEGIN //-->
<h2 id="ringer"><time>2022-09-10</time> - 00005 Ringer</h2> <h2 id="bone-and-feather"><time>2022-09-18</time> - 00006 Bone and
Feather</h2>
<p>🎶 <a href="https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=aeD3-sdGf1c">Minotaur -
Thee Oh Sees</a></p>
<p>The Dead Ringer plays the part of both Theseus and Forunato in this
episode. And Iofi is a more clever Daedalus, for her labyrinth
successfully delivers the villain into the hands of the Minotaur to be
immured as revenge.</p>
<p>Or is it just that this Minotaur is a more competent and capable
monster?</p>
<p>In other news, we now have some old church ruins to play around with!
I guess maybe I should make a pantheon?</p>
<h2 id="climax"><time>2022-09-10</time> - 00005 Climax</h2>
<p>So the dice insisted on telling an intense story by the end of this <p>So the dice insisted on telling an intense story by the end of this
episode.</p> episode.</p>
<p>They compelled Blackguard to “suddenly act”, Meadowgloom had to die, <p>They compelled Blackguard to “suddenly act”, Meadowgloom had to die,
@ -188,7 +205,7 @@ and the Ringer had to find the safe house.</p>
do a resurrection, despite her being a cleric. It was a difficult roll do a resurrection, despite her being a cleric. It was a difficult roll
because it was a big miracle. And she <em>barely</em> pulled it off. But because it was a big miracle. And she <em>barely</em> pulled it off. But
yay! Meadowgloom lives! For now.</p> yay! Meadowgloom lives! For now.</p>
<h2 id="ringer-1"><time>2022-09-05</time> - 00005 Ringer</h2> <h2 id="the-hand"><time>2022-09-05</time> - 00005 The Hand</h2>
<p>Yes, the Hand are luchadors.</p> <p>Yes, the Hand are luchadors.</p>
<p>Yes, they follow parlimentary procedure during their meetings. The <p>Yes, they follow parlimentary procedure during their meetings. The
Index insisted on it.</p> Index insisted on it.</p>

30
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@ -1,9 +1,31 @@
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>cleric + thief</title> <rss version="2.0"><channel><title>cleric + thief</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/index.html</link><description>behind the scenes of cleric + thief</description><atom:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml"/> <link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/index.html</link><description>behind the scenes of cleric + thief</description><atom:link rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml"/>
<item> <item>
<title>00005 Ringer</title> <title>00006 Bone and Feather</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.html</link> <link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-10 00005 Ringer</guid> <guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-18 00006 Bone and Feather</guid>
<pubDate>Sun Sep 18 00:00:00 MDT 2022
</pubDate>
<description>
<![CDATA[
<pre>
🎶 [Minotaur - Thee Oh Sees](https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=aeD3-sdGf1c)
The Dead Ringer plays the part of both Theseus and Forunato in this episode. And Iofi is a more clever Daedalus, for her labyrinth successfully delivers the villain into the hands of the Minotaur to be immured as revenge.
Or is it just that this Minotaur is a more competent and capable monster?
In other news, we now have some old church ruins to play around with! I guess maybe I should make a pantheon?
</pre>
]]>
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>00005 Climax</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-10 00005 Climax</guid>
<pubDate>Sat Sep 10 00:00:00 MDT 2022 <pubDate>Sat Sep 10 00:00:00 MDT 2022
</pubDate> </pubDate>
<description> <description>
@ -23,9 +45,9 @@ It didn't even occur to me for a long time that Iofi might be able to do a resur
</description> </description>
</item> </item>
<item> <item>
<title>00005 Ringer</title> <title>00005 The Hand</title>
<link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.html</link> <link>http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-05 00005 Ringer</guid> <guid isPermaLink="false">2022-09-05 00005 The Hand</guid>
<pubDate>Mon Sep 5 00:00:00 MDT 2022 <pubDate>Mon Sep 5 00:00:00 MDT 2022
</pubDate> </pubDate>
<description> <description>