Vigilance | Ep. 10 | A Test of Faith

Summary

Dark Dice Host/Author: Fool and Scholar Productions
Episode: Vigilance | Ep. 10 | A Test of Faith
Release Date: February 10, 2025

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Episode Summary

Vigilance | Ep. 10 | A Test of Faith marks the tenth installment in the gripping Dark Dice series, where the team ventures deeper into the perilous and enigmatic world of Atreus. This episode delves into the complexities of infiltrating a dangerous cult, unveiling deeper layers of conspiracy, and testing the faith and loyalty of each team member.

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1. Rest and Looting

The episode opens with the team finally obtaining a rare period of rest—ten hours of uninterrupted sleep and relaxation. Capitalizing on this downtime, Flick and senior officer Thracious Wyatt embark on a mission to loot the bodies of fallen soldiers. Their efforts yield critical supplies, including various grenades:

• Fragmentation Grenades
• High Power Grenade
• Aeolus Grenade

The discovery of the Aeolus grenade, a remnant from the Aeolus Wars, sets the stage for ensuing dangers.

Notable Quote:

Travis [03:02]: "No Aeolus, huh? It's from the Aeolus Wars. They're grenades... designed to disintegrate all matter within a specific radius."

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2. Planning the Infiltration

With newfound resources, the team devises a plan to infiltrate a local religious cult known as the Children of Melachor. The goal is to blend in with the cultists to gather intelligence and locate a crucial dossier.

Notable Quote:

Sylvanas [05:15]: "Just said that's what you hoped wouldn't happen."

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3. Encounter at the Roadblock

As the team approaches the tower—a towering structure symbolizing the cult's stronghold—they encounter a roadblock guarded by soldiers adorned with the Children of Melachor symbols. During this encounter, they navigate through tensions and subterfuge to avoid detection.

Notable Quote:

Travis [10:26]: "All right, roll D20 plus four. Nope. This is why I don't get the grenades, guys."

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4. Interaction with Officer Watts

Posing as members of another gang, the Blood Skulls, the team interacts with Officer Watts at the checkpoint. This interaction is pivotal as it tests their ability to maintain cover under scrutiny.

Notable Quote:

Sylvanas [13:12]: "We were told to speak with you on our way up to see Creed."

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5. Inside the Tower

Gaining limited access, the team explores the interior of the tower, encountering various chambers filled with symbols and guarded by loyal cultists. Their exploration leads them to Dr. Reichman, a key figure within the cult, who imparts critical information about the ongoing conflict between the Children of Melachor and the Archon.

Notable Quotes:

Sylvanas [43:39]: "How did he die?"

Claire [43:40]: "He and the others were executed for not bowing to her wishes."

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6. Unveiling Deception and Ancient Technology

Dr. Reichman reveals the existence of a mythical dragon construct—a metallic beast capable of flight, symbolizing advanced and possibly otherworldly technology that the cult intends to harness. This revelation shakes the team's understanding of the forces at play within Atreus.

Notable Quote:

Claire [46:02]: "It is a great beast of mythic lore. It breeds fire and flies in the skies above... it's beyond your comprehension for the time being."

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7. Tensions and Strategic Decisions

Post-interaction with Dr. Reichman, the team debates their next moves—whether to continue infiltration, gather more intelligence, or sabotage the cult from within. The internal conflict highlights the strains on their unity and the ethical dilemmas they face.

Notable Quote:

Travis [57:34]: "I am not stealthy at all."

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8. Confronting the Truth

As the episode progresses, the team grapples with revelations about the Archon's deceit and the true intentions of the Children of Melachor. The intertwining of technology and mythology presents a formidable challenge, pushing the team to adapt and reconsider their strategies.

Notable Quote:

Claire [50:42]: "The world is not always as simple as we would like to believe. Just trust my words."

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Conclusion

A Test of Faith serves as a critical juncture in the Dark Dice narrative, deepening the lore of Atreus and escalating the stakes for the team. As they uncover more about the cult's plans and the true nature of their adversaries, the team must navigate treacherous alliances and moral quandaries to survive the dark corners of their fantasy world.

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Key Takeaways

• Infiltration Challenges: The complexities of blending into a hostile environment require the team to employ deception and tactical planning.

• Advanced Technology vs. Mythology: The blend of mythical elements with advanced technology like the dragon construct adds depth and intrigue to the narrative.

• Internal Struggles: The team's internal conflicts and differing perspectives on handling threats highlight the human element in their journey.

• Revelations About the Archon: Unveiling the Archon's true nature and the history of Atreus sets up future confrontations and plot developments.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Travis [03:02]: "No Aeolus, huh? It's from the Aeolus Wars..."
• Sylvanas [05:15]: "Just said that's what you hoped wouldn't happen."
• Travis [10:26]: "All right, roll D20 plus four. Nope. This is why I don't get the grenades, guys."
• Sylvanas [13:12]: "We were told to speak with you on our way up to see Creed."
• Sylvanas [43:39]: "How did he die?"
• Claire [43:40]: "He and the others were executed for not bowing to her wishes."
• Claire [46:02]: "It is a great beast of mythic lore. It breeds fire and flies in the skies above..."
• Travis [57:34]: "I am not stealthy at all."
• Claire [50:42]: "The world is not always as simple as we would like to believe. Just trust my words."

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This episode of Dark Dice masterfully weaves suspense, mystery, and character development, keeping listeners engaged and eager for the unfolding journey into the dark and fantastical realm of Atreus.

Transcript

[Travis]

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[Dave]

I was worried we'd bring back the same team. I meant Those blackout motorized shades lines.com made it crazy affordable to replace our old blinds.

[Claire]

Hard to install?

[Wyatt]

No, it's easy.

[Dave]

I installed these and then got some from my mom. She talked to a design consultant for free and scheduled a professional measure and install hall of Fame son. They're the number one online retailer of custom window coverings in the world.

[Travis]

Blinds.com is the goat shopblinds.com right now and get up to 40% off select styles plus a free professional measure. Rules and restrictions may apply.

[Gulian]

Greetings citizens and welcome to the 10th episode of Liberty Vigilance. Thank you so much for your kind words on social media, Spotify and YouTube comments, and Apple podcast reviews. So many years after recording and creating this story, we sincerely appreciate that our adventures are still keeping you entertained. And on that topic, the original recordings of Liberty Vigilance were on a laptop that no longer exists, so editing even a single moment of the show is next to impossible at this point. With this in mind, this episode contains a joke about a woman's weight and looks that I would have long since gone and edited out because it came off a bit ruder than I'd have liked, but I don't have the ability to do so. I have grown a lot as a person and an editor since then and apologize for any offended. And on the topic of editing, I'm currently working on the early steps for the final episodes of Dark Dice Season 2, the long awaited finale. We look forward to returning to Dark Dice soon and once we wrap up season two this year, we will have some new terrifying stories co DMed already recorded just waiting to be edited for your ears and we cannot wait to share them with you. Well, let's get started. Atreus Endures.

[Wyatt]

Liberty Vigilance Episode 10 A Test of Faith the team gets a full night of rest. It's an entirely uneventful 10 hours of sleep and relaxation, complete with showers. With the extra time Flick and senior officer Thracious Wyatt move and loot the bodies of the dead soldiers and break into lockers. They find a few extra meal, some fragmentation grenades, one large area high power grenade and a single Aeolus grenade.

[Sylvanas]

These are time dilation grenades.

[Dave]

Holy shit. What?

[Travis]

No Aeolus, huh? It's from the Aeolus Wars. They're grenades. The Hydro Wars. It's an advanced technology designed to disintegrate all matter within a specific specific radius. They're difficult to use, and even the most experienced demolition personnel get very nervous around them. So somebody take this who has really good rolls.

[Sylvanas]

The feature I like the most is that shadows of all organic matter will typically mar the walls and floors of the room.

[Dave]

That is really neat. I approve of that imagery.

[Flik]

Well, if someone with good rolls is taking it, that should probably be Sylvanas.

[Sylvanas]

Decorate my apartment.

[Dave]

I can hear it now. Hey guys, want a party?

[Sylvanas]

This looks like an accident waiting to happen. I'm gonna put it in my pocket.

[Dave]

You do that. I never like grenades. Make me nervous. Especially that weird one. Anyway, listen, every time I make a plan, we almost die. So what should we do everybody.

[Travis]

Huh?

[Dave]

All right, good. I'm glad that we have a plan now.

[Flik]

Well, wasn't the plan to infiltrate ties this cult with the fantastic impressions of us fringe of folk yar?

[Dave]

Well, as good as my impressions are, that's an easy thing to say. But I feel like it'll be more difficult to do in practice.

[Travis]

Well, if they're religious zealots, if we just appeal to to their belief system, it's that cult mentality of automatic acceptance.

[Dave]

I guess the only problem with that is that none of us know anything about being in a cult. Right? That'd be weird.

[Flik]

And who's this Dr. Morales guy?

[Sylvanas]

He's the one we killed.

[Flik]

Oh, right. I'm not good with names.

[Travis]

Wait, what about this test? Do we know anything about this test? You should have asked investigator Quinn while he was here. Oh, thank you for that. After the fact. He only asked a dozen times. If you had any questions for him. I assumed that you knew what you were doing.

[Sylvanas]

I'm just hoping they'll make Horatius cut off a toe or something. That's what I'm waiting for. Okay, that'll get us right in.

[Dave]

Why?

[Sylvanas]

Just said that's what you hoped wouldn't happen.

[Travis]

And what are we doing? So we killed the guy so we can't ask him any questions? The other guy left, so we can't ask him any questions. All we know is we're supposed to walk up to a bunch of religious fanatics and cultists and try to continue to be around them.

[Dave]

Well, if I've learned anything in the time I've spent out here on the fringe, it's that I'm pretty good about hanging around weirdos, I guess.

[Travis]

So.

[Dave]

It's worth a shot.

[Travis]

Well, we can't plan for it. We've never even been near the building.

[Flik]

Would I. Would I know anything about it with my fringe knowledge?

[Wyatt]

That would require a successful knowledge. The fringe. Check.

[Flik]

Okay, then maybe I will.

[Wyatt]

Flik doesn't know anything about this particular topic because it pertains to the southeastern fringe specifically.

[Flik]

Well, you know, that's. That's the southeast. I'm more of a regular east guy.

[Sylvanas]

Quinn did give us some names. Is there anything we know about these people that might help us? I mean, we were investigating Hadrian. He mentioned Yale. Do we know anything about him?

[Wyatt]

Investigator Sylvanus Claire Hout takes a moment to realize that Director Yale is the same Director Yale who heads the Department of Research and Development and who acts as a personal advisor to the Archon.

[Dave]

Oh, so he's pretty. He's pretty high up there in terms of stuff. Sciencey type stuff. Right? Yes.

[Travis]

Yes.

[Wyatt]

Dang.

[Dave]

Or a drat. That's too bad. That is unfortunate. That's really all. I wasn't gonna add anything else to that thought. I was just ruminating on how. What. What deep shit we're in.

[Travis]

So why don't we approach the building, stay far enough away to see if we can get a plan about how to enter, whether or not it is infiltration or actually going in after having a conversation with some guards and saying we're crazy nutjobs like they are, and just go from there.

[Dave]

That's a good idea. Scouting. Yes, Scouting's military. I can do scouting. Let's scout the building.

[Travis]

There we go.

[Wyatt]

Wyatt nods.

[Travis]

Okay, let's leave. I'm just gonna take, like, several more large breaths of fresh air before we leave. It's like filtered air. This is wonderful.

[Wyatt]

The elevator reaches the ground level, the doors open, and the team returns to the grunge of the fringe. The tower is visible over the shorter buildings nearby, standing out as one of the tallest structures in the southeastern fringe. It's still at least a dozen blocks away.

[Dave]

All right, well, I guess we better start heading close to the tower, but not so close that we'll be seen maybe in one of those buildings like if there's an abandoned one or something, we could take a look, see what's going on.

[Wyatt]

The team walks toward the tower. As they turn slightly, beginning a new stretch of road, they spot an unconscious woman lying naked in the middle of the road, sprawled out. From her grasp appears to be a spilled satchel flush with meal. Flik may attempt to knowledge the Fringe. Check.

[Flik]

Yeah, that's a little better. Flik puts his hand on Sylvanus chest to get him to stop advancing.

[Sylvanas]

Sylvanas stops very attentively.

[Flik]

Ah, we should probably find another way around.

[Dave]

Why? What's the M.O. it's a trap, right? She's like, attractive and she's got food and she's just sitting there. It's probably like people. That's what's going on?

[Flik]

Kind of the gist of it, yeah.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Flik]

This is. This is a pretty common bait job in the Fringe. She's probably got a bomb on her.

[Dave]

Ah, wow. Okay. I wasn't expecting that part. I figured they'd just jump out and kill us.

[Flik]

It's. It's a thing we do. It's a thing that happens here. It's. It's not really my style, but it's a trend these days. It's popular. You know how it is.

[Claire]

Sure.

[Flik]

You don't know how it is. That's why I'm talking to you. Let's go somewhere else.

[Dave]

Okay. Well, thanks for the warning.

[Wyatt]

Flick earns an inspiration point.

[Dave]

Well, you lead and we'll follow, I guess.

[Flik]

Aye. This way.

[Wyatt]

Given their knowledge and general distrust of the fringe, they decide to take another path. After half an hour down the new road, they approach a roadblock a few blocks from the tower. A team of clean looking soldiers in tattered stained garb guard the checkpoint. A small child with a curly brown mop of hair runs up to the soldiers, passing one of them a cup of water before running back toward the tower. At the site of the team's approach, soldiers are a confusing lot. The leader appears to be an Atrian Civil Defense Force officer, armor and all. But as the team gets closer, they can see other soldiers present in CDF garb, sporting Fringer face and neck tattoos as well as poor Unatrian posture.

[Travis]

We're still several blocks from the tower, so these probably aren't the cultists.

[Sylvanas]

Not sure. They could be.

[Wyatt]

Azad notices a nearby wall and then several walls, each painted with a symbol.

[Travis]

All right, roll D20 plus four. Nope. This is why I don't get the grenades, guys.

[Wyatt]

After some thought, she recalls seeing the symbol in the handwritten book.

[Travis]

All right. Can I look in my book?

[Wyatt]

It is the symbol of the children of Melachor.

[Travis]

Alright. Sylvanas. Yeah, that's them. This is the crazy people place.

[Sylvanas]

Our dear, dear friends, the children.

[Travis]

Mm. So they already have roadblocks out this far. And they already claimed territory out this far away from their building.

[Dave]

They've also. They've also spotted us. So, you know, retreating may or may not go well, depending on exactly what happens there.

[Travis]

Oh, yeah, Wonderful. Right. So just remember, guys, act crazy. You don't like. She struggles through this sentence. You don't like the Archon and.

[Flik]

Yeah, well, I'll see if I can pretend not to like the Archon.

[Travis]

Ah, yes, he was being very difficult for you. Very difficult.

[Dave]

Look, I know it's gonna be tough, Flick, but we've all gotta just batten down and really just do this. Oh, boy.

[Travis]

So, do we have a cover story? Are we saying that we're from a specific group, perhaps, or.

[Sylvanas]

Oh, we're from a specific group.

[Travis]

Yeah, I was about to say. So what's the plan on that?

[Sylvanas]

With the blood skulls?

[Dave]

Well, that's true. That has been the. That's been the thing so far.

[Travis]

I'll let you speak then.

[Dave]

Fair enough.

[Sylvanas]

As I'm walking up to them, can I tell if the guy in the middle, the less fringer looking guy, has a mark?

[Wyatt]

That would require a successful investigation. Check.

[Sylvanas]

Wow. I know nothing about him.

[Wyatt]

The lead soldier waves at the team. Clarehard can tell he was a citizen enlisted in the Civil Defense Force. But he is now listed as deceased. As a result, clarehout is unable to access his file without investing more time.

[Travis]

Can I peek my head around Sylvanas and try and recognize him with the facial recognition software I have? Nope. So bad at this. Man, I hate rolling dice. Fake dice.

[Wyatt]

Hazad uses her scanner to attempt to obtain additional information. Finding the soldier's name within the file.

[Dave]

It sure is a name.

[Wyatt]

Opel Watts.

[Travis]

I bet his friends call him Opie. All right, so I mean, that's not really important information, so I'm not going to relay that yet. Or at all. He might end up dead, so it doesn't even matter.

[Gulian]

State your business.

[Sylvanas]

We've been hearing a lot of rumors that this is the place where people come when they want to fuck up the Archon with their bare hands. Is that true? Who sent you?

[Travis]

Sylvanas. Tell him. Dr. Morales.

[Sylvanas]

Us voice in my head. Dr. Morales told us to come speak.

[Dave]

With you, Dr. Morales.

[Gulian]

Oh, okay. Are you initiated?

[Sylvanas]

Not yet, but we hope to be Excellent.

[Gulian]

Let me lead you.

[Sylvanas]

Just to sweeten the deal. Can I hold up his ID and say he told us to show you this if you had any doubts.

[Dave]

No doubts from me.

[Gulian]

Come on, we'll get you ° he'll help you.

[Sylvanas]

Wonderful.

[Gulian]

Yeah, just follow me.

[Sylvanas]

Lead on.

[Wyatt]

They follow Officer Watts, passing through litter covered blocks as Azad notes their near proximity to the entrance of the tower. A mere two blocks away stands the massive front door, stretching multiple stories high and left an untarnished silver gleam.

[Travis]

Perception roll. Hey, I can see things.

[Wyatt]

With a closer look, Claire Haught and Azad see a number of calm Fringers and citizens entering and exiting the tower with strained vision. They believe they can spy some incarnation of the Children of Melakor mark on every person. The symbol is also present on various buildings and objects within view, sometimes painted, other times welded into place. Glancing through the massive doors, in a moment of luck, they spot a large open lobby modified as a checkpoint, where people appear to check their weapons before entry.

[Travis]

Can you like. I know it's going to take you a while, but can you draw a map?

[Sylvanas]

Let's see. Insanely massive scale. I'll have to open a new window.

[Travis]

Or, assuming we're going to try and find a way to not have them take our weapons away. Because I'm not. I don't want to go into a building filled with crazy people without the ability to shoot them.

[Sylvanas]

So, assuming we're going to go into the Tower at some point, can you.

[Travis]

At least share the map with me?

[Sylvanas]

Building group folder. So all of us can see it and not just me. Now if I could only remember how many sides it has. Yes, yes, yes. I can do this. I can do this. Oh, there's a grid feature. Okay. How did I ever live without finding this? I'm not going to suck. I'm not going to suck. I'm.

[Creed]

Yes.

[Sylvanas]

I did it. I drew a perfect hexagon. Look at it. Look.

[Flik]

Nice work.

[Travis]

Ah, the fabled cartography skills of Sylvanas Clairhout.

[Sylvanas]

Shut it.

[Travis]

No, no, it's. It's. It's really great to ignore you.

[Sylvanas]

Step number one. Slightly funny. Up on one side, curved ish. There's a doorway. It's a pretty big doorway. And the area has. Oh, I should make them pink. That way you can see everyone. Oh, oh, oh, no, no, no. That's. That's way too many of them.

[Dave]

They're dropping like flies. I mean, bacteria.

[Sylvanas]

And I can only delete them one at a time. So it has about six guards at the front. Yeah, there we are there. We are six guards. That's what I can see from here, which is over in a building over here. Here, nearby, which I'm pinging over and over again. So you all can see we're in the closest building to it. There's a road that goes from one end to the other, and there's a highway juncture overhead. That's about all I can see from here. The highway is pretty high up there, maybe 40ft off the ground. No entry points nearby. The only entry point seems to be the entrance after all.

[Wyatt]

With a final glance inside, they can determine it is well defended, the lobby flanked with large mounted guns on the walls and ceiling. The team is led within the building closest to the tower. Inside, they proceed down a hall into a cramped single room covered in scribbles and carved graffiti. The mellicor symbol is repeated over and over again within the patterns, but other illegible words and symbols are present as well, written in an unrecognizable language, if it's a language at all. A hooded figure sits chained to a chair on the far side of the room, and a lone Fringer standing behind him turns to face the group. Officer Watts does not enter the room, opting to stand behind the group. The Fringer turns, approaching in jerking steps and mumbled hisses. His brown hair, poorly cut through various protruding lengths, ends in sporadic blue bunches. It does nothing to obscure the various neck and arm tattoos scrawled across his skin. His tattoos, in black, blue and red, hold none of the symbols painted onto the walls, a faint indication of his life. Before finding Mellachor.

[Creed]

Hail to true founders. Cor returns. Who are you?

[Sylvanas]

Hail. Are you Gree?

[Creed]

Yes, that is me.

[Sylvanas]

Dr. Morales sent us. We're hoping to be initiated.

[Creed]

Delightful. So how did you come to hear a calling of Melchor?

[Sylvanas]

Well, we heard this was. We heard this was the place to do some damage to Atreus, and that, frankly, excites us all quite a bit.

[Creed]

So you're not citizens yet? No. Morales.

[Dave]

Yeah, well, you know, we just kind of saw him hanging around one time and. Guy introduced himself as Morales, so I guess that's, you know, the girl. Was it a guy or a girl?

[Travis]

Male. At least before you blew his legs off.

[Dave]

The guy introduced himself as Morales, so I just figured that's what I'd call him. Kind of a funny name, but, you know, you just kind of roll with it out here.

[Wyatt]

That will require a successful deception check.

[Dave]

All right, get ready for my sweet deception score.

[Travis]

Please tell me you have inspiration. If Needed.

[Dave]

I think that I do. I think I do.

[Wyatt]

McBride has inspiration.

[Claire]

Ooh, I'm gonna use it.

[Dave]

I'm using an inspiration. Oh, no. Well, that was my inspiration. Roll.

[Wyatt]

A smile leaves his face.

[Creed]

Interesting. So if I had a test for you to prove your faith, you'd be most interested.

[Wyatt]

He folds his hands.

[Sylvanas]

We're very excited about being initiated. Yes.

[Wyatt]

No test is required to notice that his smile is particularly sinister.

[Creed]

Perfect.

[Wyatt]

He approaches the hooded figure. He violently rips away the hood, revealing a battered and bruised Atrian citizen wearing black lipstick. An indicator of an Atrian veteran of battle.

[Creed]

Here I have with me a traitor. A very simple test. I just want you to kill him.

[Wyatt]

The citizen's face curls into a disgusted scowl around his gag.

[Creed]

Simply kill this one. That is all I ask. This one is still quite loyal to false Arkhan.

[Sylvanas]

Why have you let him live so far?

[Creed]

I was trying to pull information from him and failed. Most unfortunate. He could not be turned. Could not join us. Would not join us.

[Sylvanas]

Me and my friends have picked up a reputation for being quite persuasive. Perhaps if we had some time alone with him, we could get the information you're looking for.

[Creed]

Oh, I simply want him dead at this point. Will that be a problem?

[Sylvanas]

Certainly not.

[Travis]

I have a question. So one of my flaws is that I value my objectives over life. But it also says I value loyalty.

[Flik]

That's for you to decide. Right.

[Travis]

Okay, so I might need to, like, roll a dice and be, like, high or low? Because if she thinks it's more of an objective for her to kill this guy and save the Archon, then she might just, like, think that's the most logical thing to do.

[Flik]

I, I, I have an alternate suggestion.

[Travis]

Yes, Speak.

[Flik]

Flik takes out his gun and shoots him in the head.

[Wyatt]

Flik needs to now roll a weapons care check to ensure that the shot fires without incident.

[Flik]

Weapons care, huh? Okay. Discovering now that Flik doesn't care about his weapons too much.

[Dave]

Yeah, well, you passed. That's nice. Would have been fairly cinematic if the gun just went. Nope. When you pulled the trigger or exploded in your face.

[Wyatt]

Flick shoots the prisoner in the head without blinking.

[Dave]

Ah, shit.

[Flik]

Some test. May all the enemies of Malachor meet the same fate.

[Wyatt]

Gree the tester appears to be visually conflicted. Flik may now roll a persuasion check.

[Flik]

Okay, cool.

[Travis]

Still question our loyalty?

[Wyatt]

Gree smiles.

[Creed]

You know, I wasn't sure about you. Everyone has different strengths. Some of us are simply not gifted with speech. That is something we can work around. Put you to use doing something Else, I would like to introduce you to. Of course, Meor and great teachings. For we are family now. Do you know of Mel already?

[Travis]

That was me deciding whether or not she was okay with it. And she's okay with it.

[Dave]

Horatius is notably silent as all this is going on, you know. Probably doesn't want to screw anything else up.

[Sylvanas]

It's for the Archon.

[Travis]

It's for the Archon. It's for the Archon.

[Dave]

Right, Right. Just mumbling that. I said Spork the Archon.

[Creed]

Do you know of Melachor already?

[Sylvanas]

Only bits and pieces. We'd love to know more about both him and the Awakening, if possible.

[Creed]

See? Certainly this will come over time. Of course. For now I can only speak of basic things. Creed will speak to you of more. She is very talented. She will find your talents and help you find them. And help you help us. So Mellachor was original one who sparked great revolution. Some call it year zero. How this all began. He stood up to false Arkhan and was killed for it. His death started schism split Great war started great revolution. Like him, we wish to bring great changes around us to all Atreus. That is why we call ourselves children of Melchor. I am excited for you because you do not yet have this knowledge. You get to learn it all fresh for first time. So much to learn. I only wish that I could experience this again. This virginity of mind. If you would.

[Sylvanas]

I'm getting all shivery just thinking about it.

[Travis]

Yes.

[Creed]

So I like you speak with creed. She's on 40 floor.

[Travis]

Gulian returns and she says it in like the weirdest way because she doesn't know how to say it. And it's not saying like anything about the Archon. It's not like may the Archon watch over you. And it sounds really weird, but normal.

[Creed]

I guess he will soon. And he does. Already on your way to Creed. Maybe meet with Dr. Reichman. Three floor. He can answer more questions and is less busy. Also leave your weapons at checkpoint on one floor. One where we are not. One above it. One above when you walk in. Leave weapons and they return to you when ready is time. May all purged in great awakening, brothers.

[Wyatt]

Grie motions for the team to depart and I do.

[Dave]

As do I. Yep.

[Flik]

Yeah.

[Wyatt]

More guards have accumulated in the entrance prior to Flik's swift action. But now they are dispersing.

[Gulian]

You did really well.

[Dave]

You can head to the entrance now if you'd like.

[Gulian]

I need to return to my post. May all be purged.

[Flik]

Yeah.

[Wyatt]

Thank you, Officer Watts. Escorts the team out and returns to his post, leaving the team to their own acts. In view are various cultists bringing water, meal, meat, or chem smokes to various checkpoints and buildings nearby. The team takes a few paces beyond the building and out of view to brainstorm.

[Travis]

All right, can we, like, talk to each other? Because I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to give up my guns or my gun and my sword.

[Dave]

Yeah, I don't really feel like giving up my club either. It served me pretty well so far. Maybe they'll just think it's a weird piece of wood I'm carrying around.

[Travis]

Use it as a cane.

[Dave]

Hey, that's a good idea. Except if anybody asks, Sylvanas, I'm gonna let you explain about the cane for me because I just tried explaining myself five minutes ago. Did not go well. Just gonna admit that here and then move on.

[Travis]

Well, if no one's watching us, couldn't we just, like, in a normal way, walk around the building and look for an alternative entry point?

[Dave]

How do you normally walk around a building?

[Travis]

We're strolling. We're strolling around a building, so we're.

[Flik]

Probably gonna want to do something to conceal our weapons.

[Sylvanas]

I mean, most of our weapons are concealed by their nature. The Goodnight King Kiss was made to be concealed. And your gun is pretty small, Flik. It almost looks more like a knife than a gun, too, so you can probably just get away with it, since most Fringers don't seem to consider knives weapons.

[Flik]

Okay.

[Travis]

Also, we have grenades.

[Sylvanas]

Yeah, I'm not getting through a metal detector anytime soon.

[Travis]

Actually, most Fringers wouldn't really get through a metal detector. They wear so much junk on them.

[Dave]

That's a fair point.

[Flik]

Yeah, and if you talk to the right people, they might think you are junk. And he points to his tattooed arm that looks like a robot arm.

[Sylvanas]

I do also have inspiration. I'm wondering what the chances are of us being able to walk in there and say that Gree told us we did not have to give up our weapons.

[Flik]

Hmm.

[Sylvanas]

That could get us in a lot of trouble.

[Travis]

I always think violently. Can we walk over to a building and, like, put a timed grenade on it and then walk away and then blow it up in, like, a few minutes? And then the guards would maybe rush out to go and find out what it was, and then at that point, we can go in.

[Dave]

I think, as an aside, that's my favorite strategy in the latest Gears of Metal game. You put a C4 down on one end of the Base, Go all the way down to where you want to go and then blow it up. Everyone runs over there, and you're like, go wherever I want. So I'm totally in favor of this strategy.

[Flik]

I. I think maybe since we just got invited, we might not want to stir up too much trouble right now.

[Dave]

Yeah, well, what if they open our heads and stir up our brains?

[Travis]

Valid points, you know, for our trouble.

[Dave]

Because, I don't know, maybe they decide they hate us.

[Travis]

What's the name of the group we're claiming to be again?

[Dave]

We're the Blood Skulls. We're joining the children of Melkor Melchior, Melkor Melachor, and. Yep, those are the two things that are true about us.

[Travis]

Are we the Blood Skulls or the skull crushers? What is wrong with my head? I cannot remember.

[Dave]

We're the Blood Skulls. Thank you. We're the Blood Skulls. Yep. Knew it all along.

[Sylvanas]

Right, thanks. Okay, well, if we bloody the Skulls.

[Flik]

If we can do this, I'd suggest it. If we each give them one weapon at the checkpoint, they'll think that's all of them. So do we have enough weapons that we can each hide a weapon and give them everything else?

[Dave]

Yes, but here's the problem. Both of my weapons are large, and I probably cannot hide them. One of them is a shotgun, and the other is a large club with spikes on it.

[Flik]

Okay, does anyone have a pistol for Horacius? And we can trade that in for his club. Like, someone brings in his club, he brings his rifle or whatever.

[Dave]

Look, I'll give him my shotgun and I'll try the cane thing. And if not, then. Then if stuff gets dicey, I'll just beat him to death with my big hands. That's my plan.

[Flik]

That's. That's a good point.

[Travis]

So our plan is really just to walk in the front door?

[Sylvanas]

Let's give it a shot.

[Travis]

Oh, God. I mean, other things that aren't deities.

[Sylvanas]

Okay, start limping, Horatius.

[Wyatt]

Yeah.

[Flik]

It's a cane.

[Travis]

It's a cane. It's a cane.

[Dave]

Okay, I'm gonna limp toward the entrance now with my old lucky pick ended cane. Maybe if I pick up a piece of trash on the way with the pick. Fringers are pretty into recycling, right? Okay, I'm going in for real now.

[Wyatt]

Approaching the tower's entrance, the team is approached by a nearby cultist from a checkpoint. He's a younger Fringer, aged by short gray hair and sporting an intricate tattoo of a bleeding skull being eaten by a set of monstrous jaws.

[Travis]

Knowledge Fringe. I think it's possible.

[Wyatt]

This is an obscure small time gang.

[Travis]

Yeah. But I'm gonna roll hard anyway, so get ready to have a name. If I get this right, I'll do it too. Nope, you don't need a name.

[Wyatt]

They're too insignificant for Flick to have heard of them.

[Flik]

Okay. Yeah. Dang stupid hole in the wall gangs.

[Creed]

So guns, weapons, pass em up.

[Sylvanas]

Oh yeah.

[Dave]

All right. Here's my shotgun.

[Wyatt]

He takes the gun.

[Dave]

Just gonna lean on my lucky cane. My quote unquote cane.

[Creed]

Thanks.

[Dave]

Sweet. Horatius limps forward on his cane.

[Wyatt]

He looks at Clairhaut.

[Sylvanas]

I have gnk, utility knife, shock baton and the Shut the up.

[Dave]

Yeah, I love that weapon.

[Sylvanas]

We're gonna hold out my shock baton that I pulled off a Cassius. Here you go. Was this something I pulled off a dead soldier?

[Creed]

It shoot rifle bullets just kind of zaps.

[Claire]

Hmm.

[Creed]

Does it kill?

[Sylvanas]

I don't think so. But I haven't beaten anyone to death with it yet to try.

[Creed]

Ah, that's cool.

[Travis]

She steps up and she like really hesitantly takes out the skillet and like slowly moves it towards him. Like very slowly.

[Creed]

Sup with you?

[Travis]

She does a cocaine sniff.

[Wyatt]

He checks Azad to see if she's hiding anything and points at her sword.

[Creed]

You can't bring that in. It's just too long. You can keep knives, just not that.

[Travis]

She hands over the sword very slowly. How did he see the sword with a two. But he.

[Flik]

Swords are. Swords are pretty big.

[Travis]

But she's wearing like a huge cape. All right, fine. Take my effing sword. And she gives him the sword and.

[Wyatt]

Walks off in a huff, focusing on the sword. He fails to notice her concealed pistol.

[Dave]

Nice.

[Creed]

Thanks.

[Flik]

Flik holds up his cooking knife. Ah, all I got is this. You want it?

[Creed]

Yeah, it's small.

[Flik]

Keep it nice.

[Creed]

So what gang you guys?

[Flik]

Ah, blood skulls.

[Creed]

No shit. We're the Bloody Skull Chewers.

[Wyatt]

He extends a hand to either fist bump or shake, it's unclear.

[Flik]

I. I go for the bump.

[Wyatt]

The bump connects.

[Flik]

Okay. Nice.

[Creed]

Yeah, you guys are cool. You guys are.

[Dave]

This, this club is bumping. Bumping.

[Creed]

It's your first time here, I'm guessing.

[Flik]

Yeah, yeah, we're more of a northern gang. We haven't heard of you guys.

[Creed]

Yeah, I never heard of you guys. It's weird. We gotta like fight for the name or something. If we wasn't becoming enlightened and shit.

[Wyatt]

Hi.

[Creed]

So you're in the Chicken and. No. Right. So some basics. Big areas. Got all the defenses and stuff. Those stairs lead up and they're really where everything is. Those stairs you don't take down. Down is forbidden, especially to fresh flesh like yourselves. Those guards and stuff. If they catch you down there, you get in trouble. Some floors are off limits. 12, 15, 34, 34, 2. That's.

[Wyatt]

Yeah.

[Creed]

Oh, and the roof. Roof's off limits. Very off limits. Everything else is cool, just not those spots. That's 42 is the roof.

[Flik]

Okay. So not the top, not the bottom. In between's good.

[Creed]

Yeah. Yeah. Everything else is cool.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Creed]

And the stuff that's off limits. The 12th, 15 and stuff. You'll see, they got signs. It's got a symbol, a little person.

[Wyatt]

He produces a data pad and draws a sad little stick figure like this.

[Creed]

You don't go. Got it?

[Flik]

Got it.

[Sylvanas]

Little person, don't go.

[Dave]

Got it.

[Wyatt]

Leaving the bustling checkpoint behind them, they enter the complex within the tower. It looks massive from within the entry vaults five stories to the ceiling. Massive pillars engraved with unfamiliar imagery flanking the sides, and grandiose, immaculate doors unlike anything the team has seen before. The expanse contains chairs arranged in circular patterns, tables with various goods being distributed, holographic displays being used for either planning or education, and perhaps a hundred individuals making use of the aforementioned effects.

[Travis]

So what's the deal now?

[Flik]

So you want to go to the third floor, right? Ask the guy the business, and then we got to meet someone on the 40th floor, right? The 30th.

[Travis]

40.

[Sylvanas]

40.

[Flik]

40. Okay. If we're following procedure.

[Dave]

Well, what do we do now? We following procedure or we break. Breaking the rules. Breaking the law. Breaking the Melachor law, you know?

[Flik]

Well. What? This is recon, right? We don't wanna. We should probably play along for now. Good point.

[Sylvanas]

Yes. And remind me not to sit down.

[Travis]

And remember, you walk with a limp.

[Sylvanas]

Oh, it comes and goes. An old war wound.

[Travis]

Not war. Don't say war battle.

[Dave]

Fight the old battle fight.

[Sylvanas]

So, floor three.

[Wyatt]

The team approaches a massive ascending staircase at the side of the room.

[Travis]

Wonderful.

[Wyatt]

I hate stairs.

[Dave]

I think that's the blood skull's official weakness. Like, if we ever get shirts made or something, it'd just say blood skulls. And on the back it'd say fuck staircases.

[Wyatt]

Structure and notes that the lift has been converted to a public restroom.

[Travis]

So you're telling me the basement is filled with poo?

[Flik]

They probably sealed it. Probably. We could go check it out.

[Travis]

Not gonna happen.

[Wyatt]

After ascending five stories, the team reaches the second floor. A single double door is propped open before them, and a sign hanging above it depicts various trade goods. A cursory Glance while passing the open door reveals a two stories tall room. Reaching out before them.

[Flik]

Okay, we got some, we got some shops over here.

[Dave]

Well, I do love shopping, but as tempting as he kind of like peers over at em, maybe now isn't the best time. Guess we should probably keep our wits about us. Shopping leads to talking, leads to me almost getting us killed.

[Travis]

Don't we have like 500 meal on us?

[Sylvanas]

Yes, and remind me not to sit down.

[Travis]

Could we go and like the symbols on the walls. Does it say what type of market goods are available? Be it guns or weapons or explosives or something.

[Wyatt]

Stopping to look through the door, Azad doesn't see the distribution of firearms, but rather meat, meal, water, clothing, toilet cloth, children's toys and simple everyday resources.

[Travis]

That's not fun at all. Okay, not going shopping.

[Wyatt]

The team continues up the abnormally wide stairwell.

[Dave]

Yeah, I'm starting to feel the burn. Any of you guys feeling it yet?

[Sylvanas]

I'm really regretting skipping leg day for the last two years.

[Wyatt]

The third floor's door holds a sign depicting a stick figure staring at a data pad.

[Travis]

What does that mean? Flick.

[Flik]

Well.

[Dave]

Good flick, thanks.

[Flik]

It means, it's like, it's like books and shit. I don't know, like people. I think. I think the gist is that people learn shit there, but I'm not much of a learner, so I don't know.

[Travis]

Would it be where they keep possible documents? Because we're looking, we're looking for the dossier, so.

[Dave]

Oh yeah.

[Wyatt]

A Fringer bumps past the team to enter the learning center, lending to the idea that it's open to the general populace.

[Sylvanas]

Why don't you take a look around while we talk to this Dr. Reichman?

[Travis]

Are you telling me to go away from the sane people and go amongst the crazy people?

[Sylvanas]

Not too far away.

[Travis]

Just you're going up perhaps like 37 flights of stairs.

[Sylvanas]

Three, right?

[Flik]

Yeah. This is floor three. Yeah, this is where Dr. Reichman should be at.

[Sylvanas]

Let's go in.

[Travis]

Wait, which one's Dr. Reichman again?

[Flik]

We were told to speak with Dr. Reichman on our way up. To answer questions and stuff, to get more info.

[Dave]

Well, I'm glad we're out of the whole investigative part because we seem to be paying less and less attention to things people are telling us.

[Travis]

Alright, so should we. Do we. What questions do we have formulated? Well, because everything I think about asking them is quite offensive to their beliefs.

[Dave]

Yeah, I sure don't have any.

[Travis]

How about we just appeal to his craziness and let him talk?

[Dave]

Yeah, works for me?

[Flik]

Yeah, yeah, good plan, good plan.

[Travis]

Someone with high bluff go in the front.

[Sylvanas]

Books and shit. Here we go. Alright, I'm going.

[Wyatt]

Azad estimates the third floor is divided into numerous smaller rooms. In the first room, in addition to individuals reading datapads in various recliners and chairs, is a man dressed in the garb of an Atrion medical doctor.

[Claire]

And I need you to find these titles for me when you get a chance, okay? It shouldn't be too difficult.

[Gulian]

Whatever you say, Doc.

[Claire]

I'll take care of them. Just start organizing without me, okay?

[Sylvanas]

You Dr. Reichman?

[Claire]

Yes. And you are?

[Sylvanas]

New initiates. We were told to speak with you on our way up to see Creed.

[Claire]

Hail to the true founders.

[Dave]

Hail to the true founders.

[Claire]

You undoubtedly have questions. My purpose here is to educate, answer questions, and find answers to questions we do not yet know. How may I assist you?

[Sylvanas]

Well, like I said, we're pretty new. I'm assuming these true founders you speak of.

[Claire]

That's Gulion, Thorn, Tarot, and of course, Melacor. The original ones who came from the stars. They were the true founders of our planet of Atreus. Along with the false archon, whom we now know to be the great deceiver.

[Sylvanas]

That.

[Claire]

Yes, that indeed, still attempts to spit and divide us, withholds information and fabricates lies. She would do all of this just to stay in power.

[Sylvanas]

What was her first deception?

[Claire]

The first was truly horrific. She, acting under a different name, led our ancestors through this desolate planet and forced them into servitude to work without pay, without compensation. Slavery. She enslaved our ancestors and the original founders. That is why Mellachor died.

[Sylvanas]

How did he die?

[Claire]

He and the others were executed for not bowing to her wishes. For not following blindly like the rest of her minions. You see, she rewrote history in her favor and made it almost impossible to find the few true records that survived the centuries.

[Sylvanas]

Tragedy.

[Claire]

She was so successful. Because behind every lie was a partial truth. We do come from the stars above, but we were not escaping humanity. We've been separated from it. There are more of our brothers and sisters out there. Fellow humans, right now, this very moment. They are searching for us, waiting for us. They are not the source of the vile disease greed, as the false archon wishes us to believe. We know because we have spoken to the spirit of Shejokawius. Gulian.

[Dave]

That's ridiculously great. I can't believe that. There. That's.

[Creed]

Wow.

[Dave]

How'd you do that?

[Claire]

He speaks to all who visit him in the below. You see, he was discovered by. Well, Dr. Basuto, who reported this and introduced the spirit to Director Yale. They agreed that the best course of action was to speak to the Fincher leaders nearby and share their vision for our unified colony. That is how we came to be the children of Melchor. Jejer Karius. Guleon is very wise, you see, and his words were capable of ending century old grudges in a matter of hours.

[Dave]

Well, he sounds like it. If he's figured out how to come back as a spirit. Never really heard of that happening before.

[Claire]

He is not truly dead. I use this phrase because it is one that you might comprehend best. His body still lives, and that is part of the Great Awakening. His body will awaken. There is also the matter of destroying the false archon and her followers from within and raining fire upon their city with the Dragon spirit. But let's not overwhelm you all on your first day. Wow.

[Travis]

What's a dragon?

[Claire]

It is a great beast of mythic lore. It breeds fire and flies in the skies above. I've had the distinct pleasure of working with a few very creative talesmen, but even they have had difficulty comprehending the concepts of which I speak. So, suffice to say, in your Fringer dialect, it stays in the sky without falling, and walks on the wind.

[Dave]

What?

[Claire]

How do you understand the words I selected?

[Dave]

I mean, I. I get what you're saying, but I don't get what you're saying.

[Claire]

It's advanced technology. Suffice to say, we'll awaken the spirit, kill the archon, and return to our brothers and sisters in the night sky. That is the simple version of what the Awakening is in. Bite sized concepts. Pun intended.

[Sylvanas]

And you're saying this dragon spirit and the body of Gulion is here?

[Claire]

Yes, and great things will happen soon.

[Sylvanas]

That's very impressive. Sounds like we picked the right side.

[Dave]

Yeah, no kidding.

[Claire]

Yes, but we're on a busy schedule, so for now, you shall speak with Creed. She will have an assignment for you. To assist in the Awakening. This is key because every able body within the children of Melakor has a role and will. We must help you find yours. Everyone has a talent. Perhaps yours will be retrieving something. Or making sure that no one attacks us. While we are making final preparations, you must also be added to the list.

[Dave]

Well, that adds to eight.

[Flik]

So, final preparations, huh? We almost done?

[Claire]

Yes. Soon enough. You will learn of this more in the coming nights. Simply be loyal and know that you. You shall be safe.

[Flik]

Oh, I like safe.

[Claire]

If you wish to learn more we have plenty of digital books on medicine, healing, cooking and hygiene. We have many educational sources, even one on simply learning how to read, which I'm sure some of you might be curious about.

[Flik]

That would be very useful.

[Claire]

We have so many resources here at the Learning center, which you can return to soon. Up above, on floors 4 through 11, that's the numbers above this one, we have lodging beds. You can sleep and relax there at any bed that is unclaimed. Certain floors that you are not allowed to visit are designated as such.

[Wyatt]

With this symbol, Dr. Reichman produces the same sad stick figure symbol on his datapad.

[Claire]

Do not explore those floors unless you are specifically asked to do so. Go to floor 40 and speak with Creed. Do you need anything else answered?

[Dave]

Well, it's a lot to think about. Grammar. Big, big old knowledge into my tiny brain. So I think maybe later.

[Travis]

What.

[Wyatt]

What.

[Travis]

What questions do other people ask you normally?

[Claire]

Normally, they're more religious, and I need to explain in greater detail how it all works on a spiritual level. You seem more concerned with materialistic or worldly affairs. As such, I've crafted my speech around your interests.

[Travis]

So this dragon is like a person who floats in air?

[Claire]

In a way, it's like many people being floated in the air, but it's like fleshy and stuff, with flesh of.

[Dave]

Wait a minute. You're telling me this dragon is made of metal?

[Claire]

Yes, it is. A metal dragon with arms that flap rapidly to keep it aloft.

[Creed]

Wings.

[Dave]

But if dragons are alive, and I'm alive and I'm not made of metal, how is the dragon made of metal?

[Claire]

It's alive, in a sense. It's a construct, which is a concept that would take more time than I currently have to explain. Be assured, though, the dragon is very much capable of destroying Atreus.

[Travis]

How can metal be in the air?

[Claire]

It is possible because we have former Atrian scientists working on it. It's a sort of magic. Just accept that it's beyond your comprehension for the time being.

[Travis]

But metal's heavy. Like if you throw. If you throw a pipe in the air, it comes back down.

[Claire]

Check this little guy out.

[Wyatt]

Dr. Ruckman produces a small magnet and a metallic tool from his pocket. He demonstrates using the magnet to pick up the tool and suspend it off his hand.

[Claire]

Neat, huh?

[Travis]

All right. She's seen a magnet before.

[Dave]

That's the craziest thing I've ever seen.

[Claire]

The world is not always as simple as we would like to believe. Just trusted my words. In the words of our leaders. And we will not only impress you, but educate you and help you to understand greater and greater concepts.

[Travis]

But there isn't a giant wrench in the sky.

[Claire]

It works on different mechanics. I don't have time to explain such things to you at this very moment.

[Travis]

But you're.

[Dave]

You're a teacher anyway, my friend.

[Claire]

I am, but proper education is built on grounding principles which you still have yet to master.

[Dave]

Maybe we should move on for right now. I'm sure that our new friend would be thrilled to talk all about how cans fly or whatever later.

[Travis]

Do you mean it's like meal? It's like metal on the outside and then squishy in the middle?

[Claire]

There is no squishy part. It's entirely metal with other similar components. It's not edible, if that's what. What you're getting at. Also, all your meal will be provided for you on the second floor in the distribution center. It'll be given to you for free. Is that a word? You know, free? You don't have to trade, you'll just receive. It'll be given to you in the market area. All of the water you will need, all of the meal you will need, all of the clothing you will need will be provided there. You do not need to fight for resources while you are here, so please don't. It is frowned upon. And killing anyone inside of this tower is grounds for immediate expulsion.

[Dave]

Well, that's pretty different from how we usually do it, but okay.

[Claire]

If you need anything, simply visit the second floor, the market. They will take care of your physical needs. Here on this floor, you will learn things. One of my assistants will take care of your information needs after you've been assigned work. At the moment, you do not need to learn more. You need simply to be aware of the greater picture which you are. At some point, you will most likely be sent to acquire things for us, because your talents are likely geared toward acquisition or protection. If I had to guess, if you were more scientific, we would likely send you off to repair things. But that would probably just bore you. And we want you to succeed. Do you have any other macro overall questions before you meet with Creed?

[Dave]

Not my thing. That I do. I was gonna say area of expertise, but that's probably a bit much. No, I think we're good.

[Creed]

We're.

[Dave]

Well. We're good. We're fine.

[Travis]

Nice. Nice.

[Flik]

Yeah.

[Claire]

Excellent. May all be purged. In the Great Awakening.

[Flik]

May all be purged.

[Wyatt]

Dr. Reichman, motions for the team to depart.

[Dave]

Yep. Sounds great. Ratius begins to depart.

[Wyatt]

The team reaches the staircase.

[Travis]

Fucking psycho.

[Sylvanas]

Did you want to investigate Any of the resources, Diana, or should we move on?

[Travis]

How long would I have to spat link? I could. If it's an entire room filled with books. Like, I could take forever to look.

[Wyatt]

At everything Azad notes. Hundreds, if not thousands of datapads in the first room alone.

[Travis]

It would take me, like, forever to go through these all. Like, it would be better for us to just go. I mean, especially if it's just like, medicines and stuff. Like, I know that stuff. What confuses me is the whole, like. I'm like, now that she's not around him, he's like, okay, so they have a flying mechanical contraption. Yeah.

[Sylvanas]

Would we know anything about that in lore?

[Travis]

Lore? What are you talking about? We don't even have. We don't. We don't have those. We don't fly.

[Wyatt]

That would require a successful knowledge history.

[Travis]

Check history. I can. I say I can do that. But just because I'm good at it, like in my page, doesn't mean I won't roll really poorly. Oh, wait, I did pretty good.

[Dave]

Oh, nice.

[Travis]

Sorry.

[Wyatt]

Sylvanas Azad remembers reading about giant machines of the past that worked in a manner similar to trains, yet were capable of flight. These machines were only present on Atreus during its formative years, and all such machines have been destroyed.

[Travis]

All right, so I'm going to relay this information and then I'm going to say, I mean, if it has the correct propulsion in the same way that a bullet does. I mean, a bullet has the propulsion for when it's initially fired, but if the thing itself generates its own propulsion, it can stay in the air for a consistent amount of time without plummeting. But it would need some kind of. I don't know. I make food for a living, so it's kind of outside my area of expertise.

[Dave]

Well, what you're saying is maybe metal can fly.

[Travis]

I mean, think about a bullet. A bullet flies because you shoot it out. It has propulsion. It has the energy to stay in the air until it makes contact with something. Or. I mean, eventually a bullet will stop flying and fall to the ground, but that'll take quite a while. I actually don't think there's anywhere in Atreus you can shoot a bullet and not have it hit a wall before it decides to fall to the ground by itself.

[Dave]

Sure, but it seemed like when she was talking about this dragon, he was saying that it's more or less gonna stay up forever. It's got, like. What did he say? It's gonna flap something. That's weird.

[Travis]

Wings. It said it had wings.

[Dave]

What the hell are wings?

[Travis]

I mean, wings exist on other things. I mean, there's wings on certain types of. We use wings on. Not wings in this capacity. I mean, much smaller wings just to break up airflow around the fronts of trains. Oh, so it's aerodynamic lift. They would be using lift. All right, so, yes. I mean, it will have. It will have to have an energy source. Nothing can work without energy. If it's. If a beast, like he said, then it would consume some sort of food or utilize fuel or.

[Dave]

I'm glad you're figuring all this out, but I still am. Really.

[Travis]

But it's dangerous. Well, it appears that if we act dumb, as we have been doing, we'll be stuck with some form of guard duty, most likely away from this location. We should probably change our tactic for this next interaction. So I could actually, like, talk to people.

[Flik]

So.

[Wyatt]

Yeah.

[Flik]

So get Diane to talk.

[Travis]

Diana.

[Flik]

Diana. Sorry, I'm. I'm not used to hearing your atrion name.

[Travis]

You're really used to saying so. I think you can get it right.

[Sylvanas]

Assuming if their plan is to launch some form of beast or weapon into the air, the best location for that would be the roof.

[Travis]

Which makes sense as to why they said we couldn't be there.

[Sylvanas]

This body, this spirit of Gulion they keep mentioning, usually would be buried. I'm assuming that would be the lower levels.

[Dave]

Okay, who among us is kind of sneaky? Maybe. Maybe you could, like, you know, sneak on up there.

[Flik]

I'm gonna sneak.

[Dave]

If there's a weird dragon with wings that flies and is metal.

[Travis]

I am not stealthy at all.

[Sylvanas]

Could either sneak or attempt to align our interests such that we get assigned to those locations.

[Dave]

I'm a little better at the brute force option. Neither of those sounds appealing to me.

[Travis]

Personally, I would prefer if we just found the dossier and blew this whole place down to hell, which doesn't exist in this world, so. Blew this whole place to smithereens. The Fringe smithereens, who blew this whole place to smithereens. So let's just find this dossier and get out of here. We don't. We don't need. We don't need to be part of this crazy cult. We just need to get the information and get out.

[Wyatt]

Wyatt smiles.

[Travis]

I'm not particularly stealthy, at least in these shoes. I'm a demolition specialist. I would be happy to assist you. Blowing something up, are we? It would bring me great joy to blow these people up. So what's the plan? Get the dossier. Sounds like we're also being loaded into the dossier at this point. Did I hear that correctly?

[Sylvanas]

He mentioned we're being added to some list. I'm assuming that's a list of initiates.

[Travis]

Possibly. We need to determine if it's the full list.

[Sylvanas]

Assuming we need to talk to Creed in order to make that happen. Should we rest first? Anywhere between 4 and 11 on our way up.

[Travis]

This seems urgent. If they're as near to this awakening as the scientist thinks they are.

[Sylvanas]

The comfort of my calves. We'll just have to wait then.

[Travis]

So many flights of stairs.

[Sylvanas]

I guess we should get started.

[Wyatt]

The team continues up the stairs.

[Gulian]

Liberty Vigilance was created and produced by Travis Vengraff with editing and writing assistance from KA Statz executive producer Dan Gill. Starring Peter Lewis, Shawn Francis, Kaitlin Staats, Daniel Thoresen and Ashley Burch. With narration by Wayne June. Guest voices include Russell Gold, Joseph Teagle, Christian Ferris and featuring Eric Nelson. The music was created by Ryan McQuinn and Steven Millen. Vigilance was mixed and mastered by Brandon Strader with COVID art by Dan Stanek. The original game master was Travis Van Groff, with assistance by KA Stats. We would especially like to thank our Patreon team, specifically citizens Dan Gill, Zach Israel, Fallon Gannon, Adam Farber, Scott Morrison, Saryuko, Maria Berglund, Matthew Shaluga and Jonathan Wade for bringing this episode to life. This broadcast the creation of fool and Scholar Productions. Thank you for listening and may the Archon watch over you.

[Creed]

Welcome to the ultimate social deduction game, Blood on the Clock Tower.

[Wyatt]

The evil team must stalk the streets.

[Travis]

At night, hunting down members of the.

[Wyatt]

Good team one by one. Meanwhile, the good team must outmaneuver the evil team using their unique abilities.

[Dave]

I'd like to kick things off by telling you all that I'm possibly the demon.

[Travis]

Our players can mislead and manipulate others with absolute freedom.

[Dave]

I didn't like hearing my name in.

[Gulian]

The same sentence as demon.

[Dave]

That was very upsetting for me.

[Creed]

Emily and I will be your storytellers, guiding you through every labyrinthian twist and turn.

[Gulian]

How are there so many evil players in this game?

[Creed]

What's happening with guests from no Rolls, Bard, the Pandemonium Institute and Ox Venture? You won't be able to stop listening. Go to realmspod.com clocktower to find out more.

[Gulian]

Hi, this is Rob Benedict.

[Flik]

And I am Richard Speight. We were both on a little show you might know, called Supernatural.

[Gulian]

It had a pretty good run. 15 seasons. 327 episodes.

[Flik]

And though we have seen of course.

[Sylvanas]

Every episode, many times we figured, hey, now that we're wrapped, let's watch it all again.

[Gulian]

And we can't do that alone. So we're inviting the cast and crew that made the show along for the ride. We've got writers, producers, composers, directors, and we'll of course have some actors on as well, including some certain guys that, that played some certain pretty iconic brothers.

[Dave]

It was kind of a little bit.

[Gulian]

Of a left field choice in the best way possible.

[Sylvanas]

The note from Kripke was, he's great.

[Gulian]

We love him, but we're looking for like a really intelligent Duchovny type with 15 seasons to explore. It's going to be the road trip of several lifetimes. So please join us and subscribe to Supernatural then and now.