A Knight of Shreds and Patches Transcript Season 2 Episode 2: Little Bit More Muscle Transcript by Cameron Robertson
Intro: [hurdy gurdy music begins]
Nick: Welcome, listeners, to A Knight of Shreds and Patches. An immersive actual play podcast. This episode features the talents of –
Penn: Penn Van Batavia as Marathon Messenger.
Kit: Kit Adames as Birdie Foundling.
Cameron: Cameron Robertson as Emma Blackwood.
Sydney: Sydney Whittington as Cassidy Shard.
Nick: Nick Robertson as GM and Narrator.
Sydney: Hello listeners, this is your editor, Sydney, with today’s messages:
Thanks for being a loyal listener! As we continue to be excited about our latest cast member, check out Penn’s latest TTRPG release - OUR US, an intimate art game for two about perceptions and affection. It’s a great tool for exploring your relationship with a partner or a close friend! You can find the link in the show notes.
And if you’re in a more destructive mood, check out our Patreon, where we just published a very non-canon episode featuring the Knight locked in deadly combat with a terrifying lobster kaiju! That link can also be found in the show notes.
And with that, we wrap up today’s announcements and head into Season 2, Episode 2: Little Bit More Muscle. And so...
Join us, for now our tale to yours attaches To carry hope: a Knight of Shreds and Patches.
[hurdy gurdy music ends]
[electronic beeping] [robotic powerup noise begins] Distorted Robotic Voice: Power restored. Systems online. Reconfiguring audio connection. [robotic powerup noise fades to radio frequency static]
[over radio] Penn (as Marathon): Last time on a Knight of Shreds and Patches, I wrapped up an excellent interview, if I do say so myself. I punched out some chumps in my local bar and hired a group of excellent negotiators to help me find the source of a sound outside of Tree All Mountain. [radio static]
Episode Start:
Nick: We open on a wood paneled maple study. The windows have been covered by rich velvet curtains. There's a large mahogany desk with a leather top and golden pens and thick parchment organized in neat stacks around the workspace. On either side of the door, there are two extremely large men. They look like the room is leaning back away from them and their suits must have been made out of tent canvas or something because of how big they are. The door they're guarding swings open silently and standing in the doorway hat in hand, we see Marathon.
Penn: Marathon has been in this room especially many times having many similar conversations as to the one she's going to have, and so she's got a very casual air about her as she walks in. She's a little nervous as one might be with such intimidating individuals but she's fairly confident of the result. And as she walks in, she has one hand behind her back and she flicks a burnt cigarette in the doorway behind her.
Nick: Silhouetted against the lamp light, seated behind the desk is a large person. As you step closer, a hand with scarred knuckles and large golden rings grabs the control for the lamp and turns the light down so you can make eye contact with them. You see someone with sharp, androgynous features. A undercut pulled back into a long braid, salt and pepper gray hair, a weathered face, this person has seen a lot and when they smile, you see that one of their front teeth is gold and has a small gemstone set in it and they gesture for you to take a seat. This person is seated quietly, they have the demeanor of someone who is used to supplicants asking for an audience and they're waiting for you to make your case.
Penn (as Marathon): Hey, Union! How's it going today?
Nick: Union smiles again and gestures broadly at the desk. The papers on it are blank, but they grab some, shuffle them, stack them neatly and lay them back down.
Nick (as Union): Business is good.
Penn (as Marathon): Well, that's good to hear. Well, if business is good for you, then this is a great time to ask. Um I was just wondering if I could get uh maybe a little extension a little addition on on one of the loans I already owe ya.
Nick: Union presses both of their large hands into the leather desktop and stands slowly. You can hear the rollers on their leather high back chair squeak as it pushes back.
Penn (as Marathon): Now I've - I've got a big lead for something for something big, uh something that'll bring in a lot of money. I just need one more Tree All square - two more Tree All squares to do to get me through while I send out a little team for it.
Nick: Union has turned away from you, Marathon, and is pushing back a crack in the curtain with the window. One arm is behind their back and their other is holding this curtain back as they look out, a little bit of sunlight streams over their hair.
Nick (as Union): Marathon what is it that you think I do here?
Penn (as Marathon): You take great care of everyone in Tree All Mountain and you help us out when we need it and you make a little bit off the top and we all are thankful for it. Right everyone?
Penn: And Marathon looks around to the lackeys around to try and be like right right?
Nick: Union turns around quickly.
Nick (as Union): Bernard, Ms. Messenger appears to be sweating if you could help her with that.
Nick: And one of these large pillar like men steps forward from the door, pulls a neatly folded pocket square from his coat pocket in the suit and gently dabs at your temple, Marathon, as Union continues to talk.
Penn: I think Marathon would try to swat it away.
Nick: You swat at this giant ham fist and it's like slapping a wall. The arm doesn't really move. You make eye contact with this mook and he widens his eyes a little before roughly brushing at your face with the cloth and then tucking it back into his coat pocket. You can tell that he's almost as nervous as you are.
Nick (as Union): Ms. Messenger, you're right. I take care of everybody in Tree All Mountain and I do that by making sound business decisions. When you needed a door open to get into a new job when the whole city wanted to throw you out, who did you turn to?
Penn (as Marathon): You I guess? I mean, yes.
Nick (as Union): Well, you may have turned to Humphrey and Humphrey may have sent you to one of my men in Lower Town and that man may have sent you to me, but yes, you turned to me. And when you were out of money, and rent was due, you came back, didn't you?
Penn (as Marathon): Yes, but I, I've provided for you a lot over the last -
Nick: Union raises one of their fingers. You can see that the tip of the finger is at about a 45 degree angle from the last knuckle like it was broken really badly and didn't heal correctly.
Nick (as Union): You have been an investment Marathon. And one way to be responsible in a business atmosphere is to know when an investment is bad.
Penn (as Marathon): Now Union, I I brought you in hundreds if not thousands of Tree All squares when I was with the league. Can't you just give me a few more?
Nick: Union snaps loudly [snap] and the two guards by the door grab you under the shoulders, Marathon, and haul you roughly up out of the chair. The chair clatters to the ground behind you and Union turns and walks around the desk at a stately pace. You can hear that one foot falls more heavily than the other but they stand upright and their gait appears smooth. And they get just a couple of inches from your face and say
Nick (as Union): That was then, Marathon. This is now and you're in deep, deeper than I think you know. You owe me more than you can make. You can't even cover the vig. Shake her down boys.
Penn (as Marathon): Hey! Hey!
Nick: They both pick you up off the ground with one arm each and begin to pat down your pockets. They find the pocket where you keep your money, pick out two squares and toss it onto the desk.
Penn: Marathon is definitely writhing as this is happening and then as soon as they pull out the money and set her back down, she pulls her hands back through her hair and pulls up her jacket to regain composure in a way.
Nick: Union takes in the two full squares before looking back to you, Marathon, shakes their head.
Nick (as Union): You come to me asking for money and you've got several months pay sitting there Ms. Messenger. One might think you're trying to skip town, which I would not advise.
Penn (as Marathon): I wouldn't dream of it Union. I just need a little bit more of an investment. A little bit bit of downpayment to find this, this last little bit of treasure and take care of everything, take care of all my debts at once.
Nick (as Union): You owe me nine squares, Marathon. Nine.
Penn (as Marathon): What about the two you just had?
Nick (as Union): That doesn't even cover interest and you know it.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay, I can I can totally get your nine Tree All squares. Okay?
Nick (as Union): You have two days, Marathon, or they're gonna find you back in that ice derby arena you love so much. Under the ice. You catch my meaning?
Penn (as Marathon): It was it was very literal, but yeah.
Nick (as Union): Yes, we are going to kill you. As an example.
Penn (as Marathon): I say I understand. I caught I caught it the first time, but Union I will get you uh your squares back. No worries. I have a big plan and don't worry, it'll come to fruition very soon. I feel and you will not have to worry about me no longer so -
Nick (as Union): Repeat it back to me, Marathon. How much time do you have?
Penn (as Marathon): Two days.
Nick (as Union): And you understand?
Penn (as Marathon): I understand completely Yeah, there is no... and if I needed an extension I could just talk to your your guys here, let him know uh and I'll head out. So uh
Nick: As you say talk to your guys, one of them cracks their knuckles loudly [knuckles cracking] on both hands.
Nick (as Union): There is no extension, Marathon.
Penn (as Marathon): Fair enough. I understand that completely. Well I'll have your Tree All squares in uh two days for you right here in this very office and that'll be no problem at all Union. Thank you very much for this opportunity you presented me.
Penn: And Marathon is backing out as she's saying this.
Penn (as Marathon): And I'll see you all, you wonderful souls, I'll see you all again soon. Uh two days. Yes. To be exact. I'll see y'all in two days. Okay. Okay.
Nick: We see Marathon pulling on the doorknob trying to get it open frantically, the door swings open and Marathon retreats. We see Union's face lit up from the light outside and then the room darkens again as the door hurriedly closes. Union looks to one of the guards and says
Nick (as Union): Follow her. I think she's gonna run.
Nick: And the last thing we see is Union's blood thirsty smile and the glint of the gemstone in their tooth in the dim light. Next we come to a park in the middle of the city. The Patina has come here to figure out what they're going to do next, enjoy the pleasant spring weather. We see Emma and Cassidy enjoying a game of chess at a concrete table, dappled by sunlight through the shade. How's the game going?
Cameron: It's fairly evenly matched, but it's mostly just that our play styles are completely different from each other. So we keep trying to set up a situation to get the other person caught in our trap and then they have a completely different approach than what we would have done. And it's just going back and forth like that, and not a whole lot of progress is being made.
Sydney: Cassidy is also doing a lot of looking off at the birds and taking a deep breath to smell. Now we're up to four or five flowers in the park, so when they were picking their chess bench, she picked the one that was closest to the flowers that were there. It's almost the fun part of spring. But the battle of wits is just too - so totally different approaches that it's evenly matched, but it's hard to tell who's winning if anyone's winning, because their plans are just doing totally different things.
Cameron: It does not make for a particularly interesting game of chess.
Nick: Yeah, I think this game has been going on for quite a while.
Kit: Birdie is over by a small pond that was manufactured into this park, but she's very peacefully feeding the ducks. And there are probably a couple of other birds around you know, general city wildlife, and some probably geese and she's having a very peaceful afternoon. She hasn't been able to do this for a while since it's been winter for so long.
Nick: Are you laying back in the grass with your hands behind your head enjoying the sunlight?
Kit: Yeah, she's definitely lounging a bit, she takes any chance she can get to just sprawl out and look up at the sky.
Nick: You hear a weird noise from behind you right before a large bill covers the sky from your vision and you find yourself looking up into the face of an inquisitive goose. And you jump a little as it starts to root around near your pockets looking for bread or snacks. And we cut back to the chess game.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Check.
Sydney: Cassidy sets down her piece with a dramatic and totally unnecessary flare.
Cameron: And slides a bishop over and just completely ruins that plan of attack.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Oh~.
Cameron (as Emma): No more check.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Are sure you don't want to just give up yet? It's a nice day you could go off and play in the pond.
Cameron (as Emma): You know, I feel like we've spent enough time on this at this point that one of us needs to win, but I don't want it to just be because one of us gave up. At some point, one of our strategies has to do something. Surely.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I just threatened your king.
Cameron (as Emma): Uh huh. And I blocked it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, that was a choice. You didn't -
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I guess you did have to because that's how chess works.
Cameron (as Emma): That's how chess works, Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [sigh]
Cameron (as Emma): I can't just leave the king in check.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I - can we can we be on the road again yet? What if Marathon shows up? Is that an excuse to end the game? That we can get out of the city and be on this mission.
Cameron (as Emma): [sigh] I'll say yes, if Marathon comes we can do a dramatic arm sweep across the board and throw the pieces everywhere.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Okay. [sigh]
Sydney: Cassidy moves another piece.
Nick: And we cut back to Birdie. Birdie this goose is entirely in your personal space. It is larger than you thought a bird like this could get and as it opens its bill next to your face looking for snacks you see that it's lined in teeth.
Kit (as Birdie): Oh, I don't like that. I'm sorry bud, I'm gonna move. I don't have any more food for you. I just ran out so I'm gonna start walking away. Sorry.
Kit: Birdie is just trying to get up as peacefully as she is holding both of her hands up, this is not the first time she has had a run in with a mean bird. [laugh]
Nick: As you start to get up, this goose honks loudly and starts to flap and latches on to part of your jacket with its bill and starts trying to pull you back down. It is making a ton of noise and tugging at you.
Kit: Birdie immediately jumps back but she does have the front of her jacket caught in the bill of this goose. And she's just like,
Kit (as Birdie): Ah! Okay, okay, I'm running. I'm running.
Kit: And she's gonna just turn and bolt.
Nick: And Emma and Cassidy you turn to see Birdie running through the park towards you, as a medium sized goose is flapping along the ground after her honking noisily, like some sort of avenging angel.
Sydney: Cassidy raises an eyebrow and just looks amused.
Cameron (as Emma): Did Birdie piss off a goose?
Sydney (as Cassidy): It's a good thing that geese aren't as big as the meese? the mooses?
Cameron (as Emma): I believe it's just moose, actually.
Sydney (as Cassidy): The goose is not as big as the moose?
Cameron (as Emma): Well, it's geese.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But why are they not the same?
Kit (as Birdie): [distant yelling] Help!
Cameron (as Emma): Becau- I don't know.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Hmm.
Cameron (as Emma): I do like mooses better than just moose though. It's cuter.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Gooses and mooses.
Cameron (as Emma): No geese.
Kit (as Birdie): [distant yelling] Ahhh!
Nick: Birdie goes whipping past the chess game and Marathon, you are walking out of the trees into this park where you arranged to meet and you see Birdie running straight at you, as you can't really tell why.
Penn (as Marathon): Whoa! Hey, hey, hey, whoa nelly. Hey!
Penn: I think I'll catch Birdie if Birdie's running at me.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh, hey.
Kit (as Birdie): Hey!
Penn (as Marathon): What's what's wrong?
Kit (as Birdie): Ahh!
Penn (as Marathon): What's wrong? Hey?
Kit (as Birdie): I'm being chased by a goose!
Penn (as Marathon): Oh.
Nick: You hear angry honking and flapping approaching rapidly and over Birdie's shoulder you see a small goose.
Penn (as Marathon): Hey, Derek. Derek, let's uh, let's get Derek back to his pond, okay Birdie? Why don't you just stay behind me and we'll escort this little guy back to the pond. It's okay. And watch for the slush bank.
Nick: The goose bounces off of Marathon because they are so focused on Birdie. And then it looks into Marathon's scarred eye and calms quickly. And Birdie, you see it like, you see it nuzzle into Marathon's hand at her side. Derek the goose appears to be friends.
Penn (as Marathon): We have a mutual respect for our warrior spirits. So
Kit (as Birdie): Your warrior spirits. You know what? That's a new one. And I appreciate that.
Penn (as Marathon): There doesn't have to be a there doesn't happen to be a discount for goose rescue, is there?
Kit (as Birdie): I don't think so.
Penn (as Marathon): Shame.
Nick: And Marathon while you were having this conversation and leading Derek back to the pond and Birdie back to the rest of the Patina.
Penn: I imagine that I'm holding an arm between [laughing] Birdie and Derek.
Kit: Birdie is actively sticking her tongue out at Derek.
Nick: Derek is occasionally snaking his long neck around to try to bite at Birdie's fingers. It's like keeping two children apart while they're arguing with each other. And while you are doing this, go ahead and make me a average Perception check with two black die because you're pretty distracted.
Penn: It's Cunning. So if I've got three Cunning, it's just three green?
Nick: Yep.
Penn: Okay, perfect. So I've got two failures and two advantages.
Nick: All right, so you're very distracted by the situation. You get Derek back into the pond. He is obviously proud of himself. He puffs up and goes to show off for some lady geese.
Penn (as Marathon): You show 'em Derek!
Nick: And you are having a nice day. You've rescued Birdie, and you begin to head back to where you can see Cassidy and Emma are playing chess at a park table. Let's just hang on to those advantages for now, you may need them later. And Cassidy and Emma your game has finally turned in momentum. I want you to roll a Classical Knowledge and it's an opposed check against each other. It's one person rolls with the difficulty coming from the other person.
Sydney: Cameron, would you like me to roll?
Cameron: Sure. My Classical Knowledge roll is three greens.
Sydney: So that is going to convert to three purples in an opposed role against Cassidy's yellow and a green.
[dice rolling]
Sydney: So that resolves to a failure and an advantage.
Nick: So Emma is beginning to turn the tide. She managed to capture one of your higher point value pieces. And the advantage is that Marathon and Birdie show up and interrupt the game.
Sydney: With a dramatic arms sweep, Cassidy knocks all the pieces off before the game can be finalized.
Penn (as Marathon): Well um, I rescued your friend Birdie here from a goose - I feel as though that may be deserved some sort of financial compensation, maybe in the form of a discount moving forward with this job.
Kit (as Birdie): You already asked me and I said no.
Penn (as Marathon): No well, that's your - these two are are uh seem more of the negotiating type right?
Sydney (as Cassidy): No.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay.
Sydney (as Cassidy): But you did save Emma from an ignoble defeat at the hands of [Emma: Heh!] my chess mastery. So
Cameron (as Emma): That's cute Cassidy.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Maybe Emma will -
Cameron (as Emma): Are you sure you know how chess works?
Penn: Marathons like
Penn (as Marathon): So how did how do you play this game?
Penn: And starts picking up some of the pieces.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Well, I had a high score with the amount of points I was earning. See,
Cameron (as Emma): You did not.
Penn (as Marathon): I see. So this piece -
Penn: And she picks up the piece that was about to put Cassidy's King in checkmate and is like
Penn (as Marathon): This piece or what's this one do? And what's - sorry.
Cameron (as Emma): That one puts Cassidy's King in check.
Penn (as Marathon): Wait, what?
Cameron (as Emma): I believe it's checkmate, actually.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh, sorry. Here. I'll put it back. I'll put it back where it was.
Nick: Birdie, you notice that Derek the goose has come back out of the pond and appears to be stalking one of the chess pieces in the grass.
Kit: Birdie very casually goes to the opposite side of the table from where Derek is and pretends that she's just observing and is nodding.
Sydney (as Cassidy): No you see that piece is the goose and it's one of the most powerful pieces on the board.
Penn (as Marathon): The goose?
Cameron (as Emma): Okay, now I'm certain you don't know how to play chess.
Penn (as Marathon): Well,
Sydney (as Cassidy): And its power is reflected in the fact that it can jump over things because it's flying.
Penn (as Marathon): Whoa, this game has jumping? Okay now, I can jump but uh eh I should I should turn us back to the task at hand. Here you guys go.
Penn: Marathon is gonna slap down one Tree All square pulled out of her boot onto the chess table knocking a few more pieces out of the way.
Penn (as Marathon): Now I got plenty more where that came from. I just talked to my friends down at the bank and uh they got me a little bit more a little bit of an advance on my checks. So uh we're sitting pretty pretty. Now maybe just to make sure everything goes all right, I could maybe accompany y'all on this this trek out to find this transmission? This sound?
Sydney: Cassidy raises her eyebrows.
Nick: As you all are having that conversation, Cassidy and Emma, you're angled towards Marathon and there's a few people around the park. It's the middle of the day. There aren't that many. Most people are at work or off with family, but there's a decent population enjoying the nice weather. And you notice one of the largest men you've ever seen in a business suit that appears to be made out of some sort of industrial material walking across the grass in your general direction.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Coming with us is more expensive.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh, well. I would assume with my help it would be a little cheaper. Maybe -
Sydney (as Cassidy): Your help as a radio announcer?
Penn (as Marathon): Oh. [laugh] I've done a little bit more than a radio announcing.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Your help as a former ice derby something or other?
Penn (as Marathon): The former ice derby MVP to be exact but yes, yes.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I expect there's been other MVPs.
Penn (as Marathon): Well, of course there has been in the years since but, well, I was top of my game, top of the league. Everything like that, you know.
Penn: Marathons dusting off her knuckle on her jacket.
Cameron (as Emma): I don't know how much skating we'll be doing.
Penn (as Marathon): Well - Oh, have y'all watched ice derby?
Cameron (as Emma): I've seen it before but not professionally. My high school had an ice derby team.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh well I'm sure high school ice derby had a lot more focus on you know, Francie technique and stuff like that, but get up here in Tree All ice derby and well, you'll see why you need a little bit more muscle a little bit more shoulder like me.
Penn: Marathon is going to try to pull up her arm to flex realize she's in a jacket and then just try to play it off as she was pulling her jacket forward.
Nick: As you do that, you feel a heavy hand fall onto your shoulder, Marathon and a surprisingly high pitched voice kind of like broken glass asks
Nick (as Mobster): Now Ms. Messenger, you wouldn't be talking to these mercenaries trying to leave town would you?
Penn (as Marathon): Leave town? Oh, well, why of course I would not be considering that. I am just going to accompany my mercenary friends, these fine folks that I've hired to acquire some funds in order to pay off that advance on my paycheck we discussed earlier.
Sydney: Cassidy has immediately switched to there as someone that is too close awareness mode.
Nick: This very very big man hasn't done anything overtly violent but it's very obvious he's in Marathon's personal space and still has a hand on her shoulder.
Penn: Marathon is very tensed up as she turned around, and her hands have begun to clench just in preparation in case.
Nick (as Mobster): I think that you should come with me Marathon. I think that we may need to go talk to Union again. I think that you may be trying -
Penn: I think Marathon is going to palm this person right in the nose right at this moment.
Nick: Go ahead and roll me a average difficulty Brawl check. You can have a blue die because he was mid sentence and was not expecting you to just punch him in the face in front of these people.
Penn: And we're looking at two successes and two advantages.
Nick: Great. So you hit him straight in the face, you feel the crunch of cartilage as you break his nose and blood begins to pour out and he falls backward. He lands rolls backwards over his shoulders and gets ready and is immediately headed straight at you, Marathon. You're surprised by the lack of hesitation as he takes a swing back at you and he is going to try to punch you. It is two greens and a yellow versus two purple.
Penn: Let's use those two advantages, why not?
Nick: Yeah, so add a black die to that roll, please. And then your advantages from your failed Perception check earlier. Would you like to use those to give him more black die?
Penn: Yeah, why not make him look like a fool?
Nick: Okay, so that's gonna be two black die then total.
[dice rolling]
Cameron: One success, one advantage.
Nick: So he hits you for four damage, Marathon.
Penn: My soak is four.
Nick: Okay, so your soak is equal, so you don't actually take any damage. How do you shrug off this blow? From Cassidy and Emma and Birdie's perspective, this is happening so quickly it's hard to react.
Penn: So since he's trying to step back up and punch really quick, she's able to make her body a little concave and catch the punch in her gut and then she's gonna drop her brass knuckles out of her jacket sleeve and into her hand and in one swift motion, she's just gonna punch down on this guy's head.
Nick: Yeah, go ahead and roll that.
Penn: And would it be okay to use Berserk? So once per encounter, your character might use this talent, and it adds a success and two advantages to all melee checks. However, opponents add one success to all combat checks targeting you.
Nick: Nice. Yeah, I think that makes perfect sense.
Penn: Even though Marathon didn't get hurt from this hit the least the attempt at punching her has made her angry enough for it has increased her adrenaline enough that she goes into a flash of ice derby mode, I guess. And I'll go ahead and roll the brass knuckles Brawl. And we've got four advantages and a wash.
Nick: Oh no. [laugh] So you counter with these brass knuckles. He locks forearm to forearm, you're not able to make contact but he is a little distracted by how many other people there are and also sees - what are Cassidy, Emma, and Birdie doing as this fist fight breaks out? It's enough for you all to start reacting - do you watch? Do you leap to Marathon's aid?
Cameron: Emma had backed up to pick up the chair that she'd been sitting on and is now standing holding on to it with it in front of her, not like holding it as if she's already going to swing it and hit somebody yet, but she has acquired something to hit with if necessary.
Sydney: Cassidy had jumped back and one of her throwing knives had appeared in her hand which is down by her side, ready for an underhand flick, but still not super openly being a blade in her hand.
Kit: Birdie has one hand reached behind her back, ready to pull out the hockey stick whenever she gets the sort of signal that was never actually discussed, but she's not attacking before Cassidy or Emma does.
Nick: The goon sees that these women are all pretty prepared for combat. He has a practiced eye and this feels like a street fight and he's confident in his own abilities, but he's not confident in his own abilities against three mercenaries and Marathon Messenger and after blocking the punch, he turns and starts to run back the way he came at full pelt.
Penn: Yeah, I think she's gonna rush after and try to rip this - because you know how hard it is to get a suit tailored in that size - it's got to get ripped.
Nick: Great. So Marathon, you sprint after this guy.
Penn: The sprint almost looks like the glide across the ice in the way that the steps move.
Nick: And the Patina sees that Marathon talks a big game, but as she stretches out into this run and begins to chase down this person who is much bigger than her, there is a natural athletic talent that comes through. It's beautiful to watch and roll me another Brawl check.
Penn: Okay. Oh, perfect. Okay, five successes and two threats.
Nick: All right. So the threats are Marathon, you didn't stretch before this, you haven't moved like this in a while and you burn two Strain catching up to this guy. But with five successes, that's 10 damage that you lay into this guy. What does it look like as you chase him down and knock him unconscious?
Penn: Because she's much faster than this big barreling man, as she catches up to him, she jumps with her knees to his back, and then pulls on his suit so that he falls backwards onto her knees, and then bounces back up and onto the ground.
Nick: You feel something tear besides just this guy's suit as you knock the air out of his lungs, you get to your feet, and he is moaning slightly, and you plant a kick into the side of his head and he goes still.
Penn: The immediate reaction is to quickly rifle through his pockets.
Nick: Are you hoping to find like loose cash?
Penn: Yeah, definitely. Otherwise, I'll just take his watch.
Nick: Yeah, let's roll a fortune die and see when he was last paid.
Cameron: I got it.
[die rolling]
Cameron: We have one misfortune.
Nick: Okay, you find some chewed gum in a wrapper, and what looks like a half of a pencil and a stick figure drawing of someone doing ice derby, but otherwise, there's nothing in his pockets. You can absolutely take his watch though.
Sydney: [laughing] Cassidy looks back and forth between her teammates as this person knocks this dude out and then starts immediately looting him.
Penn: And then after I find nothing, I take the watch and I'm like
Penn (as Marathon): Dirt.
Penn: And I give him a quick kick. And then I look both ways very casually as if nothing happened walking back towards the group.
Nick: You see that while there were people milling around this park before, everyone seems to have found somewhere else to be at this point. The park is empty except for y'all and Derek the goose and his many goose girlfriends.
Penn (as Marathon): So uh what kind of ride you guys got?
Sydney (as Cassidy): You're gonna need to explain what just happened first.
Penn (as Marathon): I eh...
Sydney: Cassidy gestures with the knife in her hand.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh hey! [nervous laugh] There's just a little bit of troubles with some people who've been wanting to shake me down recently, you know as a pretty popular radio personality I have a lot of fans who don't seem to get the hint, you know, when I'm telling them to scruff off.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm not really in the mood to get chased out of another city here.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay, well, we aren't getting chased out of the city. I took care of it. You saw. Look at him. He's on the ground. He's not moving.
Nick: The camera focuses quickly on this goon and Marathon is correct. He is on the ground and he is not moving.
Cameron: Derek the goose is slowly approaching him.
Penn: Marathon is meanwhile, putting on the watch while talking.
Nick: It is a little bit too big for your wrist. It's one of those golden watches with the one latch and probably you would need to take two or three links out of it for it to fit but it feels heavy, which probably means it's nice.
Penn (as Marathon): I and I apologize for any sort of inconvenience this situation may have caused but I'm ready to go out take care of some business, find this transmission or the sound or whatnot and yeah, let's get cracking. Y'all, you're mercenaries right? Let's uh let's get to traveling.
Sydney (as Cassidy): And the uh, allegations of you skipping town.
Penn (as Marathon): Skipping town, they just don't want me to leave my radio station. You know, I already put in for a break so we should be alright.
Sydney (as Cassidy): How convenient.
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah.
Sydney (as Cassidy): How long ago did you put in for this break?
Penn (as Marathon): Uhh yesterday after I met you. I'm pretty popular. They they're pretty lenient on me. I can kind of push my weight around at the station if I wanted to.
Kit (as Birdie): So much that someone comes threatening violence after you.
Penn (as Marathon): Well, yeah, of course and an obsessed fan, if you will.
Cameron (as Emma): Seems kind of weird that your fans want to punch you.
Penn (as Marathon): Well I -
Cameron (as Emma): Although I guess to be fair, you did punch them first. So
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah, yeah, I you know, you just got to be proactive with keeping away these fanatics. Mhmm. It's not like I have something they can subscribe to and keep up on a bunch of my updates, be really cool if I had something like that, but
Sydney (as Cassidy): Like your radio show?
Penn (as Marathon): Yeah yeah. If only I had something like, oh, in the way olden days, you know, like, like a patron or something like that.
Nick: So Marathon, you look from Cassidy to Birdie to Emma, and for the first time in a while, your fame and history are doing you no good. These people don't know you, they don't know your career, they seem immune to your powerful charm. And you realize you're going to have to give them some reason to trust you. Some reason to bring them with you and get you out of the situation you found yourself in.
Penn (as Marathon): I've got nine Tree All squares in it for you. Payment at the end of the mission.
Cameron (as Emma): You know, I just had a job that did payment at the end and it didn't turn out super well. Um so I think I'd rather not do that again.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Emma's got a good point there.
Penn (as Marathon): You know uhh
Cameron (as Emma): Nothing on you. I just now have trust issues.
Penn (as Marathon): Well, what if I let y'all in on my little transmission here?
Cameron (as Emma): I think you're gonna have to anyway for us to go find it, right?
Penn (as Marathon): I mean, I didn't think I'd have to, but I could
Sydney (as Cassidy): You were just gonna send us off in a direction and say go look for something?
Penn (as Marathon): Well, I wouldn't be sending you off. I would be accompanying you, you know.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh huh. And last night when you were talking about it?
Penn (as Marathon): Well, yeah. [awkward laugh] Well, anyway, so uh y'all want to get on this uh this on this little ol' trail and head on out of here? That's right. Yep. All together. Mhmm. Well.
Sydney: Cassidy puts her knife away finally.
Sydney (as Cassidy): We're going to need to hear the story first. I'm not going out on another - whatever you've got going on here, I'm not sticking my face in, I'm not sticking our faces into the any tangle without knowing more.
Penn (as Marathon): Okay. Well.
Penn: Is there another chair at the chess table?
Nick: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Penn: Marathons gonna take one of the chairs and flip them around backwards and is gonna put her arms on top of the back of the chair.
Cameron: Emma is still leaning on her weaponized chair back.
Penn (as Marathon): Well uh so I was in the station, little while back and I was taking calls, you know, for the show Going the Distance as you've heard of it, of course. And I got a strange transmission over one of the phone calls. Something about oos oos navel, I don't know something, but um I got word of an airship. One of the great tales of old, out in the waste beyond the border here.
Sydney (as Cassidy): From a random call in on your radio show?
Penn (as Marathon): Well, it was like an intercepted transmission I have to assume
Sydney (as Cassidy): [disbelieving laugh] From an intercepted transmission during your radio show.
Penn (as Marathon): Now I - this is the truth, Ms Cassidy. This I I I've told quite a few lies in the past, but - not to y'all, but
Sydney: Cassidy crosses her arms.
Penn (as Marathon): This one is especially the truth. You have to, you like, you have to believe me.
Nick: And Cassidy, you can't help just a little bit, hearing the slight panic in Marathon's voice, you can tell that she's telling the truth about this. It feels genuine. You feel like you're finally having a conversation and cutting through the posturing to what is actually going on.
Penn (as Marathon): Now I don't expect you know a ton of empathy for the way our business negotiations have been going so far, but I can guarantee a little bit wetting your beaks in this airship business if we can find it following the transmission. That's been what I've been leaning on for the past couple of weeks is trying to get somebody out there to find it or to go find myself.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Hmm. Emma, Birdie - seem like a story? Not just a uh please help poor innocent uh -
Penn (as Marathon): I never claimed be innocent or poor.
Sydney (as Cassidy): - rich, guilty Marathon here. Is it just a story to get out of town with us?
Penn (as Marathon): I swear it's not please, please, please.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Nah this question wasn't for you. Sorry.
Penn: [laughing] Marathon is gonna turn away.
Sydney: And Cassidy looks at the other two of them.
Kit (as Birdie): Hmm. Emma?
Cameron (as Emma): I am conflicted. On the one hand, it seems like obviously, it's an absolutely ridiculous thing to say, so to say it, you'd have to know that it wouldn't be believable, right? So why would you lie about it? On the other hand, my mechanical brain is thinking that I feel like there are enough stories about flying machines that they can't all be lies, like we see like drones we've seen - they fly.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah but no one - people haven't flown in, what memory?
Cameron (as Emma): Yeah. However, we also have a giant robot.
Cameron: Emma says the last part a little bit under her breath so that Marathon doesn't hear it.
Cameron (as Emma): So you know, I've seen things that, you know, most humans haven't seen in a super long time, so maybe there could be an airship out there too? [sigh] See if it is there, I want to see it because I want to look at it, but
Sydney (as Cassidy): I am kind of a sucker for unexplored things.
Cameron (as Emma): Really?
Sydney (as Cassidy): If it's - Yeah, could you not tell?
Cameron (as Emma): [laughing] Sorry, please continue.
Sydney (as Cassidy): We did go down into a mine together.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, not to play to the entirely financial side of things, but she did promise nine Tree All squares and considering how much money that is, I kind of think she really believes. And
Sydney (as Cassidy): I mean I suppose there is ultimately a point where if we're being paid, and the money keeps coming, we can go chase whatever fool's errand.
Kit (as Birdie): And I mean, if if there is one, there are quite a few profits to reap from that in and of itself, so
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, wild tech sells for a lot.
Kit (as Birdie): As long as she keeps up to her side of the deal, it's money either way.
Cameron (as Emma): Does anyone else have the suspicion that she doesn't have nine trail squares?
Kit (as Birdie): Oh, yeah.
Penn (as Marathon): She's right here. And she has -
Cameron (as Emma): I know. That question wasn't for you.
Penn (as Marathon): She has, okay. She has ten Tree All squares. Uh
Cameron (as Emma): Uhhuh.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Yeah, I share this suspicion, but, you know, if we're getting paid as we go, as soon as we stop getting paid, we stop going.
Penn (as Marathon): How about how about this? Okay, in exchange for -
Cameron: [laughing] Marathon's just been sitting in the chair facing away and keeps turning around and being like, Oh, no.
Penn (as Marathon): How about this I trade, uh non non exclusivity clause so y'all can take up any sort of jobs in the meantime, and meanwhile, I'll get discoverers rights, but how's that sound?
Cameron (as Emma): Hmm. Will you assist on said jobs? You've got a good arm.
Penn (as Marathon): I can't see why I shouldn't.
Cameron: Emma looks over to Cassidy and Birdie.
Sydney: Cassidy smirks and doesn't say anything.
Cameron: Emma rolls her eyes and looks at Birdie.
Kit: Birdie was looking at Cassidy too.
Penn: [laughing] Marathon is flitting her eyes back and forth between everyone looking at each other.
Nick: It feels like a standoff it a Western. Everybody is looking at each other trying to gauge each other's reactions and emoting. Marathon you can hear your pulse in your ears as this is a pretty momentous decision being made. Who breaks the stalemate?
Cameron (as Emma): All right. Run down - What are your martial abilities beyond a good arm?
Penn (as Marathon): I got a good leg and a good other arm and good other leg and -
Cameron (as Emma): Meant more skill set wise.
Penn (as Marathon): Sure. Uh well if you're looking for other things I can do, I'm pretty quick with my fingers, I'm pretty quick on my feet, um.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Can we keep it to useful in a fight things here?
Penn (as Marathon): Okay sure. Yeah um. I can also uh [clears throat] I can actually shoot uh pretty pretty well as well um from uh, I've been known to shoot targets from uh 200 meters away. Bullseye.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh huh.
Cameron (as Emma): Using what weapon?
Penn (as Marathon): Um yeah, like a gun and um
Sydney (as Cassidy): And will you be bringing this gun of yours?
Penn (as Marathon): Well, I guns are kind of expensive and even though I have 10 Tree All squares I can't - we can't afford to lose any time getting out of here on this who knows who might discover this discovery before you know we I do?
Sydney (as Cassidy): Uh huh. Let's keep the skills to less exaggerated too.
Penn (as Marathon): [laugh] Of course. I can, I can uh set up camp every day while we're out there. It's no big deal.
Sydney (as Cassidy): [sigh]
Kit (as Birdie): To sort of be fair, you guys did let me travel with you for less, but I also
Sydney (as Cassidy): The downpayment is important.
Kit (as Birdie): Yeah...
Cameron (as Emma): Well and you also were a stowaway on our truck.
Kit (as Birdie): Well, that's not important, I think in this context right now.
Sydney (as Cassidy): Marathon if you give us your good faith money to show that you will continue to pay us- we are mercenaries [sigh] - we can at least leave.
Penn (as Marathon): Yep. Sounds good. Let's get going.
Sydney (as Cassidy): The money.
Penn (as Marathon): Oh yeah. The uh the Tree All square on the chess table.
Nick: Marathon knocks some of the gathered chess pieces away to slide the square back towards the group.
Sydney: Cassidy grabs it and bites it.
Nick: It is legit. It is real currency. You can tell by the way it's perforated that you can break it into quarter squares if you need to.
Sydney: She looks skeptically at Marathon but pockets it.
Sydney (as Cassidy): All right well, I guess you're in immediate danger of whatever so time to get a move on?
Penn (as Marathon): You won't regret this - you will, you will not regret this one bit.
Sydney (as Cassidy): I'm already regretting this. Let's get out of here.
Nick: And the Patina and Marathon walk out of the park in the opposite direction of a thoroughly trounced mobster who is slowly dragging himself back towards where he came from.
Cameron: As Emma is leaving the chess table, she picks up Cassidy's King and then flicks it back over.
Nick: And the Patina walks out of the park. The next thing we see is the group meeting at the warehouse where the train is normally kept, climb up into the rig and Marathon you get your first real look at what these mercenaries are working with - a large piece of military hardware, the kind of truck people would kill for and they climb inside, like it's no big deal.
Penn: Marathon takes a pause as everybody loads in and is suddenly overwhelmed by that feeling when you know you're in too deep and then realizes she's paused and her smile flicks back across her face and she jumps in right behind Birdie.
Nick: The rig rumbles to life, pulls out onto one of the streets of Tree All Mountain and heads out of the city chasing Marathon's intercepted transmission.
[hurdy gurdy music swells]
Outro: Penn (as Marathon): Welcome back to MTR 1153, that was just the end of today’s broadcast and we’ll be right back to the music after this little break. The particulars of the subsequent can be found in the show notes.
This has been A Knight of Shreds and Patches, an actual play podcast using the Genesys game system from Fantasy Flight Games. The show is edited by Sydney Whittington, and features the talents of:
Kit Adames as Birdie. Kit can be found on Twitter and Instagram @ venusvultures. Kit is also a voice actor for Elevator Pitch Podcast, a queer genre-hopping anthology podcast that can be accessed on Spotify and YouTube.
Penn Van Batavia as Marathon. She can be found on Twitter @ acquiredchaste. Penn is an indie TTRPG designer whose most recent work includes Wasmannian, a prompt game about gender and wasps. Check out faer other work at pennharper.itch.io.
Sydney Whittington as Cassidy. Sydney can be found on our Discord server, which is linked in the show notes, and on Twitter @ sydney_whitt. She’s also a contributing editor for the Orpheus Protocol, a cosmic horror espionage actual play podcast..
Cameron Robertson as Emma. Cameron can be found on Twitter @ midnightmusic13 and on Instagram @ reading_and_dreaming. Cameron is also a player on Tabletop Squadron, a Star Wars Edge of the Empire actual play podcast.
And Nick Robertson as narrator. Nick can be found on Twitter @ alias58. Nick is also the GM for Tabletop Squadron, which you can support @ Patreon.com/TabletopSquadron. Nick can also be found as a player on the Orpheus Protocol.
This podcast features the musical talents of Dora Violet and Arne Parrott. You can find Dora at facebook.com/doraviolett. You can find Arne at atptunes.com.
The official artwork for this podcast was created by Rashed AlAkroka, who can be found on Instagram and Artstation @ rashedjrs.
You can follow the Patina on Twitter @ akosap_podcast or visit the website: www.akosap.com. To further support the show, consider joining the Patreon at www.patreon.com/AKoSaP, where we’ll be bringing you weekly content including bonus episodes, campfire conversations, and other fun rewards.
Until next time…
…Signing Off
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