Episode 28
Episode 28 - Depths
Returning to Depths, the team is determined to recover any of the ancient materials that may have survived a blaze at the same site in 1734.
Based on a scenario by Thomas DiPaolo.
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Transcript
Hello?
Speaker B:What time is it?
Speaker B:Who is it?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker A:Situation.
Speaker D:Dream be blessed.
Speaker A:Sorry, honey, I have to take this.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Okay, so we have just done a fun handler hand wave to get you guys back to the hotel cleaned up.
Speaker A:You recover with muck and mud.
Speaker A:It is still raining.
Speaker A:Sun has dipped down below the horizon, so it is late evening now.
Speaker A:October 30th, Saturday in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Speaker A:Hey, that's so day before Halloween.
Speaker A:Typically, yeah.
Speaker A:So is that the plan?
Speaker A:We want to wait until either late at night or early the next morning?
Speaker D:I guess.
Speaker D:Let's run through that conversation.
Speaker A:So, yeah, to go downstairs.
Speaker D:We're in the hotel and we're talking through this.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:Break into.
Speaker A:Break into the bookstore.
Speaker A:Is that the next plan?
Speaker D:Yeah, I think so.
Speaker B:If it's early evening, we can give the dentist a call now on just inquiring about historical structures.
Speaker D:What would you ask the dentist?
Speaker D:I mean, I'm totally down for that.
Speaker D:I just don't know.
Speaker B:It's got to be something we can ask him.
Speaker B:We've been doing all this research on.
Speaker E:Who have you been contacting about the ownership of the depths.
Speaker C:I met with.
Speaker C:With Ms.
Speaker C:Pounds.
Speaker C:And I love what she did with her teeth.
Speaker C:She seems happy as.
Speaker E:Can I get the same deal?
Speaker A:I don't.
Speaker C:Holes in my teeth, bud.
Speaker C:Holes.
Speaker A:I mean, into it.
Speaker B:It could work.
Speaker D:Ryan is gonna hand Paris his phone.
Speaker B:We could send Ryan.
Speaker A:Paris is gonna hand about 8:30, 9:00 at night.
Speaker A:Let's give it a go.
Speaker C:Hot potato.
Speaker C:Is that.
Speaker A:We're playing here Saturday night in Northampton.
Speaker D:Oh, I didn't realize it was 8:30, 9:00 then.
Speaker D:We're heading downtown.
Speaker D:Baby, I told.
Speaker A:I told you that we're scoping.
Speaker A:I set it up.
Speaker E:He totally set.
Speaker B:It's October.
Speaker B:The sun would be completely down long before then.
Speaker C:Why don't we make.
Speaker D:Hey guys, I'm over here talking my bullshit.
Speaker C:Paris.
Speaker C:Paris says, hey, why don't we.
Speaker C:Why don't we just drive by the place and.
Speaker C:And get a sense of what's going on.
Speaker E:We'll case it.
Speaker E:We'll give it a little drive by.
Speaker E:We'll see how it looks.
Speaker E:We'll decide if it feels like a good idea.
Speaker C:Let's give our characters a chance to think this through once more.
Speaker C:One more time.
Speaker D:So we all pile back into the car and we listen to the radio on the way.
Speaker A:It's just beautiful country music swelling up from wxxt.
Speaker E:How would you describe beautiful country music?
Speaker A:I think it was honestly a redundancy.
Speaker A:So my apologies.
Speaker A:It's country music.
Speaker A:It's understood that it's beautiful.
Speaker E:Beautiful.
Speaker E:Love that.
Speaker A:So y'all go ahead and make your way back to downtown Northampton, and you drive down cobbled Main Street.
Speaker A:It's not busy, I would say.
Speaker A:There are a few lights on in a couple of shops.
Speaker A:You see a barber's.
Speaker A:Looks like they're sweeping up some hair.
Speaker A:There's a couple of workers there that you can see through large plate glass.
Speaker A:Main street does have large, ornate wrought iron light fixtures running down it.
Speaker A:So it is extremely well lit thoroughfare.
Speaker A:As you drive by depths, you can see it is darkened inside.
Speaker A:Doesn't appear to be open.
Speaker A:The boutique next to it also darkened.
Speaker A:The coffee shop next to it still has the lights on, but it appears to be closed.
Speaker E:And are there a lot of cameras around the area pointed in the general direction of depths?
Speaker A:Are there cameras outside, like, depths?
Speaker E:Any security cameras in the area?
Speaker A:Looks like the coffee shop has a very obvious camera on the inside of their door that's pointed toward the street.
Speaker A:That's all you can see.
Speaker A:Driving by without doing some sort of lengthy search, what is.
Speaker D:What does depth back up into?
Speaker D:Is it an alley?
Speaker D:Is it connected on both sides to the adjoining businesses?
Speaker D:Like, how is this set up?
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:So when you.
Speaker A:When you drive around the.
Speaker A:The block, you see that this strip is just part of a larger block edifice.
Speaker A:So you have another strip on the other side of it.
Speaker A:So there's alley in between.
Speaker E:There's no alley in between.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker D:So it doesn't have, like, a back door at all.
Speaker A:You don't see a back door.
Speaker A:But on this other side, this other side of the commercial strip, you see what looks like a chef's college, a cooking college.
Speaker A:There's definitely some lazy traffic on Main Street.
Speaker A:It's not an abandoned thoroughfare.
Speaker A:I want you to understand that this is not an abandoned place.
Speaker A:So whatever approach you take should be taken with that fact in mind.
Speaker A:You're not in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker A:You're not in the middle of a field.
Speaker A:This is Main Street.
Speaker C:Hear me out.
Speaker C:Let's go to the local radio station, set it on fire, and then break into the bookstore while everybody's distracted.
Speaker D:I don't think that that's a bad idea.
Speaker C:Setting fire to a radio station thematically ties into what we're doing.
Speaker C:So it's a win, win.
Speaker D:Also raining.
Speaker A:I appreciate that.
Speaker D:Look, guys, tomorrow's Halloween.
Speaker D:We've got witches involved with.
Speaker D:There's no way that doesn't play out, given all the other shit that we've seen.
Speaker D:And right now, this is the only thing I can think of that gives us any sort of clue moving forward.
Speaker D:I understand that this is dangerous as shit, Kane.
Speaker D:I know you're former FBI.
Speaker D:Maybe there's something that you can do to think of a pretext for a reason to break in.
Speaker D:But if I can get in and get out before any cops show up, I think it's worth the risk.
Speaker D:And if I don't, I don't.
Speaker D:We'll figure that out then as well.
Speaker D:I wouldn't mind a lookout.
Speaker E:You know, I think I hear some screaming inside.
Speaker E:And that's a crime probably happening.
Speaker E:Somebody that needs help.
Speaker E:We have.
Speaker D:Hey, there he is.
Speaker D:Okay, Print is showing up.
Speaker C:Chasing.
Speaker C:Chasing a perp or something.
Speaker D:All right, you guys with me?
Speaker E:Hell yeah.
Speaker B:All right, let's do this.
Speaker D:Awesome.
Speaker B:Who's gonna watch our backs?
Speaker E:Jesus.
Speaker A:From the passersby of Northampton, Massachusetts.
Speaker A:Agent Kane.
Speaker A:Who are you afraid of?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker D:You can take them.
Speaker D:Okay, Ryan's gonna walk up to the door.
Speaker C:Which should we.
Speaker A:Okay, try opening it.
Speaker A:Do I have a crowd of four other or three other agents behind you, or did y'all stay in the car?
Speaker A:Set the scene for me.
Speaker C:All truth.
Speaker C:Should we wait, though, at least like three in the morning or four in the morning when there's the least amount of traffic on the street, just to be 100%.
Speaker D: mean, wait till probably like: Speaker D:Are there any open businesses, Chris?
Speaker A:There was.
Speaker A:There was the barbershop that was up late, closing down late.
Speaker A:Across the way, you do see a couple of workers through the plate glass.
Speaker A:They're across the street.
Speaker A:The lights are on at the next door coffee shop, but it doesn't appear there's anybody in there.
Speaker A:And it looks like it's closed.
Speaker A:Otherwise.
Speaker A:The other shops look completely closed.
Speaker A:There are very extremely bright lights from the ornate iron rot lanterns that line this.
Speaker C:We could shoot out one of those.
Speaker C:Shootout.
Speaker C:Listen to me.
Speaker C:Fucking shoot out.
Speaker C:Let's shoot out a light.
Speaker D:Let's not worry about it.
Speaker B:Great way to draw attention to ourselves.
Speaker D:Yeah, let's just break in.
Speaker B:Just do it.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna walk up.
Speaker D:Ryan is going to walk up to the building.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna get out of the car.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna get out of the car and say apprentice.
Speaker D:You come up with Paris.
Speaker D:Fine with him.
Speaker D:Paris, you join me.
Speaker D:Kane, Prentice, why don't you guys keep back a few paces and just walk past the entrance nonchalantly and be somewhat of a.
Speaker D:An eyes and ears for sirens.
Speaker D:If you hear anything run by the door, scream.
Speaker D:So we know that we need to get out of there, too.
Speaker D:That sounds good.
Speaker E:I'm just going to pretend to be so absorbed in my phone that I don't notice anything.
Speaker E:And I just paused in front of the window.
Speaker D:Perfect.
Speaker A:So you're outside under the eaves as the rain falls around you on your phone, kind of in front of the plate glass window that is home to Depths the bookstore.
Speaker A:Is that correct?
Speaker E:Yep.
Speaker E:Holding an umbrella, you know, just.
Speaker A:And Agent Kane, where are you right now?
Speaker B:That's a good question.
Speaker B:Kane's going to.
Speaker B:Kane's going to be up against Prentice.
Speaker A:Under that umbrella as a couple huddled under the rain, perhaps trying to get a late Uber in Northampton.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:All right, Ryan Parrish, you're standing in front of the wooden door to depths.
Speaker A:It does have a half window there.
Speaker A:The top of the door frame.
Speaker A:Again, it's the painted name of the shop.
Speaker A:Its hours are also hand painted, kind of scratched and faded.
Speaker A:You can see inside even though it's darkened.
Speaker D:Do we see, based on looking at the hours, are they open on Sundays?
Speaker A:They are open on.
Speaker A:Not open on Sundays.
Speaker A:They are closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Speaker C:Paris looks to see if he sees any, like, security tape along the edge of the glass, like the break, you know, if the glass breaks, is it gonna trip it or.
Speaker C:Looks.
Speaker C:Just looks for, like, some security.
Speaker A:You're specifically looking for that telltale little bit of tape.
Speaker A:You don't.
Speaker A:You do not see it, but you're gonna go ahead and roll a search plus 20% for me.
Speaker D:Ryan's also, by the way, gonna try the door.
Speaker D:Just, you know, knowing our luck, it'll be like.
Speaker D:It opens.
Speaker C:I failed 51 out of a 42 with that plus 20%.
Speaker C:So thank you for that attempt to help me appreciate it.
Speaker A:You don't spot it at all.
Speaker A:It looks clean.
Speaker C:I think we could break this glass.
Speaker D:All right.
Speaker D:Ryan tries the door.
Speaker A:It's open.
Speaker A:It swings inward, and you hear the same chime that you heard earlier today.
Speaker D:Excellent.
Speaker A:There's no alarm that you can hear.
Speaker D:Great.
Speaker D:Ryan heads towards the counter in what you would say is the back of the shop to where there would be an office space or storage or something like that.
Speaker D:Do I see anything?
Speaker D:Does Ryan see anything like that?
Speaker A:So it's just like I described previously.
Speaker A:We've got this haphazard, messy bookstore full of pseudo mystical paraphernalia.
Speaker A:Again, it is labyrinthine and claustrophobic back there with shelves sagging under the weight of the heavy Books that, again, are just sort of thrown about and stacked with no real categorization that you've been able to notice.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker E:Prentiss, having noticed that they just walked in with no glass breaking or anything, turns to Cain and says, I think we're good to just go in.
Speaker B:Kane's going to shut his phone in.
Speaker E:His pocket and follows.
Speaker B:Guess so.
Speaker B:Close the door behind me.
Speaker A:Perfect.
Speaker A:All four of you are now inside the darkened shop.
Speaker A:The bookstore depths again, claustrophobic.
Speaker A:As I described, the aisles stretch back into what is a very lengthy floor, not a very wide floor.
Speaker A:Some books are stacked to the ceiling, even so high as to raise the drop ceiling in certain places.
Speaker A:This place is.
Speaker A:As you take a look around, even the dark, it's a dump, really.
Speaker A:The smell of musty books fills your nostrils.
Speaker A:You begin poking around.
Speaker A:Now, I assume we're going to take some lights out in order to better peruse the tomes.
Speaker A:Are we using flashlights?
Speaker A:Cell phones?
Speaker D:Both cell phone lights.
Speaker D:Fine.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And attempting to keep it.
Speaker C:Paris is looking for a door or, like, an office, a back room, something.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:That's what Ryan's.
Speaker D:Ryan's after as well.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:I need to make a quick roll.
Speaker A:One moment.
Speaker D:Roll for office.
Speaker D:What's that?
Speaker D:Skill?
Speaker A:Chris, Paris, what is your search at?
Speaker C:My search is at 20.
Speaker D:Can tell.
Speaker D:Kris is buzzing with my shit all day.
Speaker D:Just, like, fully unfazed.
Speaker C:22.
Speaker C:22.
Speaker C:I love it.
Speaker A:And Ryan, what is your search better?
Speaker D:Oh, is it actually, I don't know, 27.
Speaker D:So, yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:Sorry.
Speaker D:John, you're doing great, man.
Speaker A:And what is Cain and Prentiss doing?
Speaker B:Kane's looking.
Speaker E:Also searching.
Speaker B:Go ahead.
Speaker D:Also searching.
Speaker B:Kane's gonna look around the register and the counter and see what's over there, if there's anything.
Speaker B:Tuck.
Speaker B:That type of thing.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:And so basically, the other side of the shop that you didn't get a chance to look at when you were there last time makes perfect sense.
Speaker A:Okay, I need all four of you now to roll your searches.
Speaker D:How much are we adding to that, Chris?
Speaker A:Unfortunately, nothing, but no detriment.
Speaker A:So There you go.
Speaker C:5 out of 22.
Speaker D:81 out of 27.
Speaker B:Critical.
Speaker A:Ryan, not failure.
Speaker B:88 out of 52.
Speaker A:Kane, not nice at all.
Speaker E:And I got a 24 of 24, which is a success.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker D:Dude.
Speaker C:Kane looks.
Speaker D:Isn't that like.
Speaker E:Actually, no, it's just.
Speaker A:No, no, it's a basket.
Speaker C:Kane looks down and sees a shoe.
Speaker D:Me then.
Speaker C:And then gets terrified and falls over and then realizes it's her own shoe.
Speaker C:Look, I'm doing my best here.
Speaker D:I think it's gonna be some helplessness trying my best.
Speaker C:Here.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:So, Paris, you're not my father.
Speaker A:John Prentiss, you both make your way to the very back of this shop and have to almost swim your way through piles and stacks of these books and tomes.
Speaker D:What would you say the depth of the swimming is?
Speaker B:Ouch.
Speaker E:Well, all right.
Speaker A:I got it.
Speaker E:We just lost our last listener.
Speaker C:I was gonna ask about backstroke, butterfly stroke, but that was way better.
Speaker A:Prentiss, you trip over one of these stacks in the dark, and Paris grabs your arm as you nearly faceplant amongst these piles.
Speaker A:Both of your hearts kind of stop for just a brief moment as you see one of these tottering piles begin to sway and then fall.
Speaker A:And with a loud thumping and thudding, all of these thuds begin to fill the air.
Speaker A:Kane hears this.
Speaker E:It's a wumpledown party.
Speaker A:And of course, Ryan hears this.
Speaker A:He's actually on the aisle next to you.
Speaker A:As this pile just.
Speaker A:Just collapses around you, all of you kind of wince a little bit.
Speaker A:Look at the front of the shop almost instinctually.
Speaker A:No indication that anyone in the rain outside has heard this.
Speaker A:And you realize really not loud enough to draw attention, most likely.
Speaker A:But you look around, kind of dust yourself off, Prentiss.
Speaker A:And behind this stack is a moldy, again, drooping shelf.
Speaker A:You see behind that shelf, there is a door that has been blocked off from the rest of the shop floor.
Speaker A:As you squint and get a little closer, raising up your cell phone light, you can see it does have a padlock on it.
Speaker A:You'll need to move the shelf to get full access to it, as well as many of the other mouldering book piles.
Speaker D:Moldering.
Speaker A:Ryan is on the other aisle.
Speaker A:He heard the cacophony of thudding books.
Speaker A:That was part of this adventure.
Speaker A:Kane heard that as well as she peruses the receipts and register area.
Speaker D:Upon hearing this, Ryan's gonna run around back to find them.
Speaker A:In response, you can see them both clearing some books away to reveal what is a padlocked door.
Speaker A:Found a door behind a drooping wooden shelf.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'll just hear Kane call from up front.
Speaker B:Are you all right back there?
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:We found a door.
Speaker E:Just.
Speaker E:There's a padlock, though.
Speaker C:Anyone know how to pick a lock?
Speaker D:I know how to break a door.
Speaker C:I have no idea how to break a door, too.
Speaker C:We might just have to do that.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker C:I look at the door.
Speaker C:Paris looks at the door and tries to ascertain, is it How.
Speaker C:How breakable is it?
Speaker C:Is like the.
Speaker C:The door on the outside of the.
Speaker C:The frame or the inside of the frame or, you know, what's.
Speaker C:What's the setup?
Speaker A:Someone has gone ahead and put a brace on the frame and the door itself and then a padlock right there.
Speaker A:So the brace is on the outside facing.
Speaker B:You got a multi tool.
Speaker B:You can just unscrew it.
Speaker A:That is a possibility.
Speaker A:So if Kane.
Speaker A:If you've come and joined.
Speaker A:Joined the rest of the group, you offer that recommendation, and anybody is welcome to take the time to unscrew this thing and remove it from the door frame.
Speaker C:Does it look like it swings in or is it supposed to swing out?
Speaker A:Swing out.
Speaker A:Good question.
Speaker A:So that's why you gotta move the shelves and the books and stuff.
Speaker C:So I can't just, like, kick this door and send it in, because that'll not throw.
Speaker A:You can do whatever you want, man.
Speaker A:It just might be tougher than you.
Speaker B:I mean, seriously, just take the multi tool, unscrew it at all, and take a minute.
Speaker C:Let's do that.
Speaker E:Well, Kane.
Speaker E:Got it.
Speaker E:Go ahead.
Speaker B:All right, go ahead and start unscrewing it.
Speaker B:Oh, y'all get books out of my way.
Speaker A:Everyone starts to work together, clearing a path for this door to swing open as Agent Kane slowly unscrews these rusty wood screws out of this brace.
Speaker A:After a few minutes of work, the door swings open.
Speaker A:You're all met with a gust of very, very musty, wet, moist air.
Speaker A:It's got a very peculiar stink to it.
Speaker A:One that's quite unpleasant.
Speaker D:Does it at all smell like wet dog?
Speaker A:Similar, but not white.
Speaker D:A feruliminal scent, if you will, perhaps.
Speaker D:How resonant.
Speaker A:Rascher.
Speaker A:You raise your lights up to see how resonant it might be down there.
Speaker A:And you see that the doorway has revealed stairs leading down.
Speaker A:Stone slab stairs, in fact.
Speaker C:Did you say stone slab stairs?
Speaker A:That's correct.
Speaker D:He said stone slab stairs, my friends.
Speaker C:I was just surprised that there are stone stairs in a stone slab stairs.
Speaker E:It's built on the foundations of a much older.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:Loving it.
Speaker C:Loving where this is going.
Speaker C:As a player, not a character.
Speaker E:Now, how many miles underground is this staircase gonna lead?
Speaker B:Well, let's find out.
Speaker C:Should we.
Speaker C:Hey, should we leave?
Speaker C:Paris says.
Speaker C:Should we leave someone up here, up top, just to keep an eye on things.
Speaker C:Just as a lookout, a look out also.
Speaker B:I'm going in.
Speaker C:I would like to not.
Speaker C:I would.
Speaker C:I don't want to do it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker E:I don't want to be alone up here.
Speaker D:Nope.
Speaker C:Last time I was alone.
Speaker C:My character became real friendly with a ghost.
Speaker D:Your character?
Speaker D:What are you.
Speaker D:Are you feeling okay, man?
Speaker B:Do you want.
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker C:Remember the good old crunches or.
Speaker D:Paris, you didn't say.
Speaker E:You're saying that out of character.
Speaker E:Sorry.
Speaker C:Sorry.
Speaker C:Yeah, because Relic hung out while y'all went in, and now Relic is a really good friend.
Speaker D:I got that.
Speaker D:I was.
Speaker D:Anyway.
Speaker A:They're with you?
Speaker D:No, I.
Speaker D:I don't want to look out, but if you want to.
Speaker D:Yeah, you know, feel free.
Speaker C:Now let's all do it.
Speaker D:Well, let's see what's down these stone slab steps.
Speaker B:Kane's gonna swap her multi tool for her Glock and swap on the connected light.
Speaker E:Hey, I don't mean to.
Speaker E:I don't mean to, like, nitpick, but a Glock is also a multi tool.
Speaker B:Yes, but in a very different way.
Speaker E:In America, we can use guns for so much more than just shooting people.
Speaker A:Like what?
Speaker D:Like shooting animals.
Speaker E:Shooting animals.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Number two.
Speaker A:How about three?
Speaker E:Shooting.
Speaker E:Shooting cans.
Speaker A:Ah, okay.
Speaker B:Shooting doors.
Speaker E:Personally, I like to pick my teeth.
Speaker D:With my shooting stone slab steps.
Speaker A:Although you might have to visit the genus after that, but that might work thematically.
Speaker A:Again, into the game.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker E:Holes in your teeth.
Speaker D:So Ryan is gonna see Kane pull her gun out and turn to her and ask, do you want to lead the way down the stone slab stairs?
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Was planning on it.
Speaker D:Alrighty.
Speaker C:Paris says, I'll take up the rear.
Speaker C:And pulls his gun as well.
Speaker A:The staircase is about wide enough maybe for two folks to walk abreast uncomfortably.
Speaker A:So Kane goes ahead and just takes point.
Speaker A:Now, as you descend these stone slab steps, you note that the walls to either side are a strange colored brick, larger than most brick and mortar that you've seen before.
Speaker A:Looks a little strange, a little asymmetrical.
Speaker A:But begin making your way down, descending into this dark, damp basement.
Speaker A:After only about 10, 11 steps can you meet with the floor of this area below this bookstore.
Speaker A:Now, the floor itself is covered with about half an inch to an inch of water.
Speaker A:So your feet splash as they meet purchase.
Speaker A:There.
Speaker B:Ham.
Speaker B:Damn it.
Speaker B:I'm gonna have to replace these boots later.
Speaker A:You shine your light around as the other agents file in behind you, and you can see that very small enclosure.
Speaker A:Three of the walls here are covered in more bookshelves.
Speaker A:Now, these are smaller, about hip height bookshelves.
Speaker A:These shelves are ancient.
Speaker A:You also see that there's an armchair and a side table in the middle of this small room.
Speaker A:Maybe a comfortable space to read for someone.
Speaker A:You hear the persistent drip of water from Somewhere out of sight.
Speaker A:As your lights bounce around this small area, the shelves themselves are filled with books.
Speaker A:But as you get closer and begin splish splashing your way through the room, you see that they are damp, moldy, most likely unreadable, just damaged.
Speaker A:Some even have clusters of a blue plate like fungus growing from their bindings and pages.
Speaker A:In front of the armchair, side table.
Speaker A:On the floor, a raised portion of the stone floor that seems drier than the rest, is an open book.
Speaker A:It's a large old looking tome.
Speaker E:Well, there's a book.
Speaker C:Well, read it.
Speaker B:I'll do it.
Speaker D:Ryan.
Speaker B:Yeah, I'll go pick it up.
Speaker D:Maybe don't touch it yet.
Speaker D:Just see what is on the page.
Speaker D:It's open to Paris.
Speaker C:Starts checking the rest of the room for other exits, entrances, source of the water, that kind of thing.
Speaker E:Is that known as gnocchi Recipe?
Speaker A:Likely, yeah.
Speaker B:Kane will walk over, take a look at the book.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:Ryan's gonna follow her as well.
Speaker D:He'll let her read it.
Speaker D:But he's intrigued.
Speaker A:Crouch over the open book.
Speaker A:That looks like it's cast here.
Speaker A:Cast aside.
Speaker A:Perhaps in a hurry.
Speaker D:Perhaps.
Speaker A:Looks like the original tax of the book, which is please keep that in printed is in Latin.
Speaker A:There are scribbles in a elegant cursive style in the margins.
Speaker A:On the open page as well, you see what looks like a depiction of a tree, of a family tree, some sort of genealogy.
Speaker A:Looks like it might extend to previous and subsequent pages as well.
Speaker D:Do we recognize any of the names on the Drake?
Speaker A:Do you pick up the book and start looking through it and trying to make sense of this because this first page is fairly incomplete on its own, unless you do know Latin.
Speaker E:I know Latin.
Speaker D:Ryan is gonna.
Speaker B:Kane's gonna pick up ask aloud, plop a couple pages.
Speaker D:Does anyone know Latin?
Speaker E:I know Latin, says apprentice Kane.
Speaker A:You said you picked up the book.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:What do you do with it?
Speaker B:Turn a couple pages, take a look at the rest of the tree, see if I recognize anything.
Speaker A:You do not.
Speaker A:But you do see that these scribblings are in kind of a pidgin English.
Speaker A:Looks like whoever wrote it was deriding what had come from previous passages as falsehoods.
Speaker A:Seems to be mostly curses from somebody who is upset by the details they read.
Speaker D:So would you say this is written like a diary?
Speaker A:You have block printing in Latin and then you have cursive handwriting, elegant in the margins for the pages that were revealed here.
Speaker A:So someone's taken notes.
Speaker A:Since that is in a pidgin English, you're able to make some sense of it.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Ryan's going to turn to apprentice and say, hey, Mr.
Speaker D:Doctor, how's your Latin?
Speaker E:I mean, pretty good, I guess.
Speaker D:Look at this.
Speaker D:See if you recognize any of any of what this says.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker A:This is specifically talking about an interesting way to prepare the blood of sheep to create a very potent ward against warlocks and witches.
Speaker A:That's what these pages are turned to.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker E:This claims to be a ward against warlocks and witches using the blood of sheep.
Speaker B:Maybe we should take this back to the hotel, see what else we can get out of it.
Speaker E:Sure.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:It's a good call.
Speaker E:So pound said there were books.
Speaker E:Maybe we should keep looking.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:If we turn to the front of this, Chris, is there any kind of title or author or any sort of acknowledgment of a name?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:So when you go ahead and look at the COVID of this book, which is curiously dry, not damp or moist at all like the other tomes here.
Speaker A:It is called the Dialogos Goetia.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your history, Ryan.
Speaker D:Since you ask, Ryan is also going to observe aloud how curious it is that the book is dry and not damp like anything else.
Speaker A:The room.
Speaker D:And he rolled an 80 out of the target 13 for his history.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Go and check it.
Speaker A:Remember to check your failures.
Speaker D:The world.
Speaker D:The world writing itself.
Speaker E:What's the name of the book again?
Speaker A:The Delogos dia.
Speaker A:Oh, Theologos Dia Logos.
Speaker A:Like dialogue.
Speaker E:Oh, okay.
Speaker C:Hey, Chris.
Speaker C:Par Paris.
Speaker C:While he was searching around, he didn't find any other entrances, exits to this room and just singular.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker D:John, wait your turn.
Speaker A:In fact, it's all this like strange large brick and mortar all around.
Speaker A:It does look like.
Speaker D:What's the source of the water?
Speaker A:It does look like the mortar is rotting in places, but there's no indication that it leads to another antechamber or something.
Speaker A:There is the sound of dripping water from somewhere, but you cannot for the life of you find where.
Speaker C:Okay, yeah.
Speaker C:Paris was looking.
Speaker D:Brian is not leaving until Paris could.
Speaker C:Paris couldn't find the source of the dripping water.
Speaker A:That's correct.
Speaker C:Paris is going to look to see if he can find where it's seeping through.
Speaker C:If it's like coming in from under a wall somewhere.
Speaker C:Through a wall somewhere, you don't see.
Speaker A:Anything obvious but a craft masonry or any sort of general contracting craft.
Speaker A:You can roll that.
Speaker C:How about go with me on this?
Speaker C:A swim?
Speaker A:This is.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Not maybe.
Speaker A:Maybe.
Speaker A:Hold on to that.
Speaker A:Hold on to that.
Speaker A:Don't let me forget you have swamp.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But not.
Speaker A:Not for this particular test.
Speaker C:All right, he starts.
Speaker C:So Paris is seeing that the other agents are managing the book, so he's.
Speaker C:He's probing the walls and looking to figure out what else there might be in this room.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:You don't see any indication of an antechamber, just that the mortar is rotting in some places.
Speaker A:So you're not seeing anything like that as you explore the boundaries of this small area underneath the bookstore.
Speaker C:Well, for what it's worth, he's going to attempt to figure out where that drip is coming from.
Speaker C:And if he can figure out if it's behind a certain wall or something, he might push against it.
Speaker A:But otherwise, it's actually maddening how you cannot locate the source of this sound.
Speaker A:No matter where you stand or go, it always seems to.
Speaker A:To elude you in your senses.
Speaker C:Well, then he will stop before he has to roll.
Speaker D:Sandy, Ryan's going to say aloud, noticing how curious it is that the book is dry.
Speaker D:Keep an eye out for any other books as you're walking through the shelves that seem strangely dry.
Speaker E:That's actually a good idea.
Speaker B:Let's take a quick look for that.
Speaker A:There are no other books here that seem undamaged.
Speaker A:Again, they all wholly disappoint.
Speaker A:They're damp, moldy, unreadable again.
Speaker A:Some have clusters of a blue plate fungus growing from them.
Speaker D:So as.
Speaker D:As we move around the room and Ryan realizes that there aren't any other books, he's going to kick his foot into the water and go.
Speaker D:And then just be still.
Speaker D:Just as a moment of maybe angrily.
Speaker C:Kick a wall by.
Speaker D:He was kicking the water.
Speaker A:So you do a little splish splash.
Speaker A:An angry splish splash.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:And then he yells, fuck.
Speaker D:Really loud.
Speaker A:It does not echo.
Speaker D:Assuming echo.
Speaker A:It just kind of doesn't echo.
Speaker A:It just kind of slaps against the moistness of this very damp room.
Speaker E:Prentice.
Speaker D:Sorry, guys, I'm just.
Speaker E:Gingerly pats Ryan's back and says, hey, you'll be fine.
Speaker D:Thanks, man.
Speaker A:Kane, you're holding onto this large tome.
Speaker A:It's 800 to 900 pages, fairly heavy, bound with a thick leather.
Speaker E:Now, is that two Cs thick or just a.
Speaker A:You'll have to examine it more closely to see how many C's might be involved.
Speaker B:Kane's gonna sit down in that chair and just kind of take a look around from that vantage point.
Speaker A:Right on you sit down, placing the giant tome in your lap, and look from side to side.
Speaker A:What is your power, Agent Kane?
Speaker A:Oh, God.
Speaker B:Power 14.
Speaker D:It's.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll Your power for me, please.
Speaker D:I want to roll my power.
Speaker B:That is a success.
Speaker B:37 under 70.
Speaker D:Nice.
Speaker C:Let's go.
Speaker A:For a brief moment, so powerful as you shine your light around from this place that you are now seated.
Speaker A:You see Paris looking at the mortar wall to your right.
Speaker A:You see Ryan to your left, a little bit behind you, kicking water, cursing under his breath.
Speaker A:You see Prentiss frowning as he stares at a very large blue plate fungus.
Speaker A:And then you think you see someone else at the foot of the steps.
Speaker A:Just for a moment, just the silhouette of someone.
Speaker A:You raise your cell phone light to get a better look.
Speaker A:There's no one.
Speaker B:That was really weird.
Speaker E:What's up?
Speaker B:I swear I just saw someone standing at the foot of the stairs, but there ain't no one there.
Speaker C:Paris immediately moves to the stairs and starts looking up.
Speaker E:Prentiss pulls his gun.
Speaker A:Paris, you don't see anything at all?
Speaker A:Nothing seems out of sort.
Speaker C:Say, hey, I'm gonna go.
Speaker C:I'm gonna go check it out, just to be sure.
Speaker C:And he starts working up the stairs to take a look at Paris.
Speaker B:Would you check that wall?
Speaker E:Don't go too far past the base.
Speaker B:Of the stairs first.
Speaker B:Check the wall next to the base of the stairs first.
Speaker C:Paris starts.
Speaker B:Just a hunch.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:He nods and starts probing the.
Speaker C:Probing the.
Speaker C:That's right, Eric.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:That's the face I want you to make real uncomfortable probing the walls around the base of the staircase.
Speaker B:It is too bad listeners cannot see the faces we make at each other.
Speaker A:It's not much different than any of the other rotten mortar and brick that you've been exploring.
Speaker C:Brick is.
Speaker C:Paris just shakes his head and heads up the stairs of Check.
Speaker E:As Paris starts to do that, apprentice will kind of follow and keep him within eyesight.
Speaker E:So basically, he's going to the bottom of the stairs and keeping an eye on him.
Speaker A:You see Paris kind of slap his way up the stone slab stairs, and you see him silhouetted there in the darkness, but still visible from where you're shining your light up at the doorway that you guys came through, the one you found behind the shelves of the bookstore called Depths.
Speaker A:Paris, you don't see anyone.
Speaker D:Ryan all of a sudden is going to explain, oh, my God, we're in.
Speaker A:The depths of depths, Princess and king.
Speaker A:This is why it's called depths when you said that.
Speaker A:But yeah.
Speaker D:Ryan will also follow them up the stone slab steps.
Speaker C:Well, Paris, hold on.
Speaker C:You said Paris didn't see anything.
Speaker A:That's correct.
Speaker A:You look around.
Speaker A:There's nobody in the bookstore that you can see from this vantage point.
Speaker C:He takes a moment and tries to be alert and listen and search around from where he can see just in case there's any movement or sound.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your alertness.
Speaker A:Actually, I'm sorry.
Speaker A:Roll your search.
Speaker C:You sure you want me to roll Alertness?
Speaker C:That'd be super cool.
Speaker A:You're looking for hidden things at his search.
Speaker D:Oh, that's an alertness for sure.
Speaker A:Nope.
Speaker C:Nope.
Speaker C:What about a swim?
Speaker D:No.
Speaker E:Let your eyes swim through the scenery.
Speaker D:I loved the swim.
Speaker D:Ask.
Speaker D:That's the best.
Speaker D:Just because water is present, my swim skill comes into play.
Speaker D:Should have asked that.
Speaker D:We were outside in the rain.
Speaker D:Sorry.
Speaker D:Go ahead.
Speaker C:It's a 56 out of 22.
Speaker A:That is a fail.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You don't see anything?
Speaker A:Everything's quiet, calm, tranquil.
Speaker C:Paris like.
Speaker C:Everything looks calm, quiet and tranquil.
Speaker C:I don't see anybody up here.
Speaker C:Well, how are those?
Speaker C:A stone slab steps working for.
Speaker C:Sorry.
Speaker D:On my way up.
Speaker D:Don't bail halfway through, John.
Speaker D:Commit.
Speaker E:Yeah, you gotta keep diving through it.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I know we were looking at the books, but did anybody pull any of them off the shelves?
Speaker E:They're gross, so.
Speaker E:No, they were gross.
Speaker B:Apprentice, hold this.
Speaker A:Ryan makes his way up the stone slab steps.
Speaker A:And now you're up at the top of the staircase, standing next to Paris.
Speaker D:Yep.
Speaker E:Prentice holds what she puts out.
Speaker A:I assume the book Diagos Goetia.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Cain just shoves the book in his hand, says, hold this, slaps on some gloves and goes and just pulls a random book off the shelf.
Speaker B:One of the ones with blue on.
Speaker A:It with fungus on it.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:Fuck, yeah.
Speaker A:You go ahead and grab this tome through your nitrile glove.
Speaker A:And just because of the growth, the extensiveness of the growth, other books next to this one do come out as well.
Speaker A:Looks like they've become one in this wonderful new underground ecosystem.
Speaker A:They are damp, moldy, damage beyond repair.
Speaker B:That was worth a try.
Speaker E:They start clicking at you.
Speaker B:All right, we're gonna put that back.
Speaker B:I think we found everything down here.
Speaker B:We're gonna find.
Speaker D:Out of curiosity, Chris, does the damp blue fungus remind Ryan of any other blue things he's seen?
Speaker A:Are you gonna go down there and examine it again?
Speaker A:Go back down into the basement.
Speaker B:Come back down.
Speaker A:Stone slabs.
Speaker D:Can we.
Speaker D:Can we cut this back?
Speaker D:Nice.
Speaker D:Can we cut this back?
Speaker D:No, no, no.
Speaker D:But he saw it when he was down there.
Speaker D:And now he's pondering.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:He's wondering if maybe you should take a closer look to see if it reminds him of anything.
Speaker D:Fine.
Speaker D:He'll go back down the steps as he thinks about it harder and realizes maybe there should be a deeper look.
Speaker D:And so he descends into the depth of depths via the stone slab steps.
Speaker A:You see Kain trying to put this pile of fungus and rotten paper back where she pulled it off of.
Speaker A:It's much less book like than it was prior.
Speaker A:She's having some trouble getting it back on the shelf in one piece.
Speaker A:So she's kind of taking clumps of rotten book stuff and putting it in handfuls back on the drooping, moldy shelf.
Speaker A:Prentice, safe to say, watch with a grimace on his face.
Speaker A:And Ryan.
Speaker A:Yeah?
Speaker A:You're back in the.
Speaker A:In the water.
Speaker A:Paris, are you going to hang out by yourself?
Speaker C:No.
Speaker A:You're going to follow Ryan down.
Speaker C:You will follow him down the stone slab.
Speaker C:Step back into the depths of the.
Speaker A:Depths of the bookstore.
Speaker A:Say it.
Speaker D:Say it.
Speaker A:Okay, good.
Speaker A:Thank you, John.
Speaker A:Actually, I want to hear you say it.
Speaker C:The depths.
Speaker A:That's fan service for that person who wants to hear.
Speaker A:Silky, buttery, smooth voice.
Speaker C:This is our ASMR portion of the podcast.
Speaker E:Now I'm gonna cut your hair.
Speaker A:That's for the second Patreon tier.
Speaker A:So you see her finishing up this.
Speaker A:This task as you re enter the basement.
Speaker C:What's up?
Speaker D:Ryan is going to move to the nearest undisturbed batch of blue fungus that catches his eye and look to see if it reminds him or looks at all familiar to the blue fungus he once scraped from his back.
Speaker A:It looks very similar, but much larger.
Speaker A:And you have been having to scrape that off of your back repeatedly about once a week since that initial visit to the veterinarian.
Speaker D:Ryan is going to stare intently and looking quickly around to see that no one's really paying close attention.
Speaker D:Put his hand out to see if he can make it move.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your power, please.
Speaker F:What?
Speaker D:Holy shit.
Speaker D:Success.
Speaker D:20 out of a target 80.
Speaker A:As you do so, the light from your phone begins to dim and it gets darker and darker in your vision around you.
Speaker A:Very, very dark, almost pitch black.
Speaker A:And when you close your eyes and open them, there's almost no difference.
Speaker A:You can't even see your hand held in front of your face.
Speaker A:You see suddenly, like a bright shining beacon, teeth right at your eye level, only three or four feet in front of you, far past where the bookshelf was, where the fungus was, where the wall was, but there nonetheless.
Speaker A:Smiling teeth slowly around it.
Speaker A:You see illuminated a scraggly, grotesque beard.
Speaker A:You realize the teeth are moving.
Speaker A:See the glint now from a light source that you are unaware of, but nonetheless present.
Speaker A:Do you see the glint of a desiccated tongue behind those teeth?
Speaker A:Realize that it's a mouth that's wording something, something silent.
Speaker A:Over and over again, you hear.
Speaker D:Does Ryan get a sense that this is like a monster's mouth or it's a human's teeth?
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker A:You hear a voice.
Speaker A:It's one that you recognize.
Speaker A:And you're suddenly transported back to that harbor in New York City.
Speaker A:You're standing in front of a man in a tattered suit, barefoot, walking amongst jagged metal and glass.
Speaker A:And he looks at you and he.
Speaker F:Says, you will have my blessing.
Speaker F:You will have my blessing.
Speaker A:But the memory changes.
Speaker A:It's different than what happened.
Speaker A:And you know this.
Speaker A:The man turns to you, looks you in the eyes, and he says, take.
Speaker F:Take the pieces.
Speaker F:Take the pieces.
Speaker F:Put them together.
Speaker F:Let them speak to you.
Speaker F:Learn the pattern.
Speaker F:It's everywhere, all around you.
Speaker F:Just let it say its peace.
Speaker F:Let it be.
Speaker F:Become a conduit and be blessed.
Speaker A:Suddenly, your phone is bright again.
Speaker A:You're staring intently at your hand held towards this blue fungus.
Speaker A:It's growing out of this pile of moldering books.
Speaker A:You blink a few times.
Speaker A:You're not sure exactly what happened, but it felt real.
Speaker A:More lucid than any lucid dream you've ever experienced.
Speaker D:More wet than any.
Speaker A:Actually.
Speaker A:You're still not as wet or damp as the wettest wet dream that you've had as Ryan.
Speaker A:So we're not there yet, but we'll keep track.
Speaker A:We'll keep track.
Speaker D:My Chris, that might be my best reaction from you yet.
Speaker A:I thought I was being very creepy and horrifying.
Speaker A:And you.
Speaker A:I'll do better next time.
Speaker A:You were.
Speaker D:No, I'm really excited to genuinely engage with everything you just said, but I'm waiting for the narration to conclude.
Speaker A:The narration has concluded.
Speaker A:Something just happened.
Speaker A:It's over.
Speaker D:Ryan is going to heed what he would think of as guidance or advice, and the best way he possibly could interpret to try to follow its rules and stand still.
Speaker D:Breathe deep, try to listen.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your power one more time.
Speaker A:I'm going to need this, however, to have a plus 20%.
Speaker A:I believe that puts you fairly high at 100.
Speaker D:And that was a success.
Speaker D:25 out of a possible 100.
Speaker A:So a good success there.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:You do your best to open yourself up to the suggestion of this memory, this artificial recollection.
Speaker A:You're not sure.
Speaker A:You watch as your hand, held forward, grasps this wet muck, this surprisingly gelatinous fungus, and you begin smearing it across the moldering top of this falling, rotten bookshelf.
Speaker A:You grab more and more and begin smearing it, not just on the top of the bookshelf, but on the wall behind it, creating swirls, some very asymmetric, some almost impossibly symmetrical.
Speaker A:And your brow furrows as you continue this task, creating more and more detailed patterns.
Speaker A:Agent Kane, Agent Prentice, Agent Paris, you're not paying attention to Ryan until you see him start grabbing handfuls of fungus and smearing it on the walls.
Speaker A:He's doing this silently.
Speaker A:All you hear is kind of a sticky, sickening sound as he performs this grotesque finger painting activity on his own, facing one of the walls away from you.
Speaker A:He seems wholly absorbed in this task as you three are kind of talking to each other, mumbling, whispering about what you want to do next, looking around for the source of the dripping and flipping through pages of this giant, giant tome picked up off of the floor.
Speaker A:All three of you, though, at this point, look up and notice clearly that Ryan is doing something bizarre.
Speaker C:Paris backs up so he can have both the stairwell and Ryan directly in his view, if that's possible.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And this means you're almost backed up against one of the walls and shelves.
Speaker C:Yep, but I just wanted that way I got them both in my viewpoint.
Speaker C:Eye point, sight point.
Speaker B:Kain's gonna motion for Prentice to go up against the wall next to Paris and kind of put herself in front of him.
Speaker E:Prentice is wrinkling his nose like, what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker E:Is what he says.
Speaker A:But Ryan does not move to answer you or to turn around to acknowledge you, but begins to speed up his actions, creating, honestly, very detailed circles and spirals on the walls.
Speaker A:And again on the top of this.
Speaker C:Shelf, like happy little accidents.
Speaker A:No, it's good.
Speaker D:I very much answer the question, Chris.
Speaker B:So have y'all ever seen him do anything like this before?
Speaker E:Finger paint with fungus?
Speaker E:No.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's a no.
Speaker B:So it's not just me thinking, this is really weird.
Speaker E:Yeah, it's weird, all right.
Speaker C:Ryan, you okay, bud?
Speaker A:Ryan does not move to acknowledge you.
Speaker A:Doesn't even turn his head to give you a polite side glance.
Speaker A:He seems wholly absorbed in his activity.
Speaker A:The mural he is now working on has grown in size and complexity.
Speaker B:He's awful fast.
Speaker E:Well, if we have nothing else to do here, Ryan, I think we should probably head out.
Speaker D:Chris.
Speaker A:Yes?
Speaker D:Would you describe Ryan's movement as a dance?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:But there is something artistic about his movements, but I wouldn't call it a dance.
Speaker D:I'm also annoyed because I wasn't paying attention to the siren because I'm so used to it by now.
Speaker D:And I think that that whole line has got stepped on by the fucking fire truck, which, by the way, I guarantee there's not a fire.
Speaker A:They're just out there fucking joyriding it, driving in circles.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker E:Letting that siren blare.
Speaker A:So I'm gonna do something that I haven't done yet.
Speaker A:And it's a little tough if y'all.
Speaker E:Is your virginity on air.
Speaker A:Our game.
Speaker A:Sorry, can I ask Eric, Amber, and John.
Speaker A:Can I ask you all to go deaf, basically, so I can tell Ryan something I don't want you all to know?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then I'll just text you.
Speaker E:Actually, now's a great time.
Speaker E:I'm going to go use the restroom.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:I will.
Speaker A:I will go ahead and do a text in Operation Fair Elemental when I'm ready for you all to jump back on, but I would love for you all not to hear this.
Speaker A:I think it'll be interesting.
Speaker A:So you are done.
Speaker A:And you step back.
Speaker D:Wait, what?
Speaker D:Oh, me?
Speaker D:Dude, I thought you were about to say, like, my character's done and I was losing my mind.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:Intrinsic, Ryan, that.
Speaker A:You are done.
Speaker A:You are finished.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker A:You're dead.
Speaker A:No, you're.
Speaker A:You're done.
Speaker D:Fuck me.
Speaker D:Chris.
Speaker A:You back up and you take a look at what you have created.
Speaker A:Your mind still calm, almost blank, almost Zen like.
Speaker A:And you look at these concentric circles that you've created, and you know.
Speaker A:You know that there is a pattern.
Speaker A:Just like the voice said, there is a pattern, and it is behind every single relationship, every single facet of reality that you have ever and will ever be a part of, observe and interact with.
Speaker A:And you just tapped into it, and you're not exactly sure how, but you know you did because you are certain that in this basement, you are not alone.
Speaker A:There is something else standing here, and it is waiting to kill you.
Speaker A:If you take that horrible book, the hair raises on the back of your neck.
Speaker A:You are more certain of this than anything else you've been certain of in your entire life.
Speaker A:It is here in this room, even if you can't see it, because you have peered beyond even its kin at the underlying mathematics of reality.
Speaker A:And that equation tells you without doubt that this is the case.
Speaker A:You are in grave, grave danger.
Speaker A:Perhaps the gravest you've ever been.
Speaker A:I need to adjust your character sheet a little bit.
Speaker D:Can I ask questions?
Speaker A:You now have three willpower left.
Speaker A:That's very important.
Speaker D:What?
Speaker A:I need you to roll a 1D6, please.
Speaker D:What?
Speaker D:Three.
Speaker D:Haha.
Speaker D:Is that good or bad?
Speaker D:You can tell me.
Speaker D:Come on, Chris, don't.
Speaker A:What did you roll?
Speaker D:I kind of rolled the one.
Speaker A:You're going to lose one sanity for this particular situation.
Speaker A:I need to tell you.
Speaker A:We're going to get back to the whole team in a second.
Speaker A:I actually need to take a break.
Speaker D:Can I ask questions?
Speaker A:Oh, oh, sorry.
Speaker A:What question would you like to ask?
Speaker D:Do I get a sense of whether or not it's just me that would be in danger or if the group like, meaning if I want to know what's in that book?
Speaker D:And I can be like, hey, Amber, or hey, Kane, get that book up.
Speaker D:Those.
Speaker A:Whatever entity that you have divined that's in this room somehow that you can't perceive, except with this mathematical certainty.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:It will kill whoever tries to take that book out of this room.
Speaker A:It will.
Speaker A:It's just two plus two equals four.
Speaker D:Wait, so my fucking willpower is three then?
Speaker D:What was the one you lost?
Speaker A:One sanity.
Speaker D:Oh, that's.
Speaker A:And I'm telling you that my willpower is fucking three.
Speaker D:That's so low.
Speaker A:You lost eight willpower and one sanity.
Speaker A:Because.
Speaker A:And I'm telling you this because it is a cost.
Speaker A:It's not just something I want to keep behind a veil.
Speaker A:Oh, it's a spell.
Speaker A:Because I want you to be aware because you have just learned a spell and you have spent.
Speaker D:Can I bring the blue fungus with me?
Speaker A:You can do whatever you want.
Speaker A:This is your game.
Speaker D:Like an old jar.
Speaker A:You just know that book, that book will gain the ire of a very dangerous entity.
Speaker A:So we're going to start this.
Speaker A:Now that you.
Speaker A:You all have returned to the audio stream, we're going to start this with Ryan, who has now stepped back.
Speaker A:You all see this from his handiwork and is still staring at it.
Speaker A:But he is now in full control of himself.
Speaker D:Ryan is going to turn to the rest of the group, look back at the wall, look back at them very seriously, say, I can't explain that, gesturing to the wall.
Speaker D:But you need to know, in all of the experiences that we've had with the unnatural that we cannot leave this room with that book.
Speaker D:That book belongs and must stay here.
Speaker D:We can look at it so it seems here, but we can't leave.
Speaker D:We can't leave with that book.
Speaker B:Well, Frantis, I guess you better start reading.
Speaker E:Should we burn it?
Speaker B:Let's figure out what it has to say first.
Speaker D:I don't.
Speaker D:I wouldn't.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker D:I wouldn't.
Speaker E:No, I'm going To take that under advisement.
Speaker E:I'll go ahead and read it.
Speaker A:It's about 900 pages.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker A:Of very archaic Latin.
Speaker A:Even with your 40% in Latin, this would take weeks of study.
Speaker A:You can just tell that right off the bat.
Speaker E:Heard loud and clear.
Speaker E:I want to look where it was originally open to and see if I can get anything out of that.
Speaker A:So you start perusing these pages.
Speaker A:You're bouncing between this archaic shitty Latin from.
Speaker A:From this block print.
Speaker A:You're also looking at the pidgin English or Middle English margins, which is what it's starting to look more and more like to you.
Speaker A:So older English is what you're picking up on?
Speaker C:Hey, Ryan, what happens if we take this book out of here?
Speaker D:You die.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Good to know.
Speaker C:Good to know.
Speaker B:Ryan, you want to tell me what that was all about?
Speaker B:I seen some weird stuff over the years, but I never seen that before.
Speaker D:I've seen new weird stuff every time.
Speaker D:I don't understand how it doesn't repeat.
Speaker D:But no, I can't.
Speaker D:I can't explain it.
Speaker D:But look, if you don't believe me, that's fine.
Speaker B:Not saying I don't believe you, just saying I don't understand.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker D:Yeah, I mean, the list of things I don't understand but live with is growing.
Speaker D:I guess that's something you and I definitely have in common.
Speaker B:Well, we got some time now while he's skimming that book.
Speaker B:Ain't nothing else to do down here.
Speaker B:You want to tell me something?
Speaker C:Hey, Ryan, would you try to stop us if we tried to take the book out?
Speaker D:No.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Would we all die?
Speaker C:Is it just whoever takes the book out?
Speaker C:Just trying to get a sense of what we're dealing with.
Speaker D:I mean, does who here would you want to take the book out?
Speaker C:What if we tossed the book up the stairs through the door?
Speaker C:No, I'm just playing that.
Speaker D:Probably the tosser.
Speaker C:Not serious question.
Speaker C:Paris is just going to be.
Speaker C:He's just.
Speaker C:He's going to hang tight, keep an eye on everything.
Speaker A:Ryan's right now trying to get a bunch of this goo off of his hand.
Speaker A:He's bent down into the about inch high water trying to wash his hand off as he's answering Kane's questions.
Speaker A:And Prentice, you're doing your best to make some sense.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's obvious whoever was writing in these margins.
Speaker A:And again, we're were talking older English.
Speaker A:You're seeing that again.
Speaker A:This person was not a fan of what was being asserted in prior pages.
Speaker A:Still vague.
Speaker A:You really need to read through those prior pages to understand why he's so upset.
Speaker A:You do see that he's drawn based on something that he got from this enormous text.
Speaker A:A family tree aforementioned.
Speaker A:And as you trace through it and keep turning page after page as it continues in these margins and you kind of have to follow the, the breadcrumbs around other diatribes that he's randomly stuck in there, you can see that he claims that he himself, the writer of these notes is the child of a unholy union, one that is talked about in great detail apparently in this text you see that Benjamin Stockton and he has underlined this.
Speaker A:You realize that those are the words, that's the person's words that you're reading right now.
Speaker A:He is able to impossibly draw his family tree beyond his own death.
Speaker A:Here in this text he has marked the dates of when these branches wither.
Speaker A:And as you look through this you can see that there's only one living descendant of Benjamin Stockton thing.
Speaker A:That's Janet Pound.
Speaker A:That's the only name that hasn't been crossed off with a date underneath it.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your sanity please.
Speaker E:O.
