This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:07] Tommy Nolan: Once more with Dragons, Arc One, The Lights of Imperia, Chapter One, The Cold Read.

[0:54] Tommy Nolan: It's so dark there that you would swear the sun quit its day job to move to the West Coast because it heard it's warmer there. You see, this city, Imperia, is trapped beneath the permanent shadow of the Laddie Cliffs. The wooden houses and taverns and stables and marketplaces and inns of this metropolis stretch towards the sky, haphazardly stacked in hundreds of tipsy towers. It's as if the building's peaks and steeples and eaves are always grasping fruitlessly at the precious rays of sunlight that never seem to strike the alleyways and byways of the darkened winding streets of this capital city. But as I have found, Imperians never sleep.

[1:48] Tommy Nolan: Everything in Imperia glows. From the glimmering billboards high above Pendulum Plaza to the enchanted technicolor neon beams that outline every thatched gable and every unexplored alleyway gutter. Oh, and how could I forget? The theaters. Hundreds of them. The Hohenstein, the Tonophone, the G.R. Schroeder, each one of them with its own sparkling, flashy marquee. I mean, if you're gonna do magical theater, you want to show it off, right? And in fact, Gregory, this is exactly where you find yourself. In front of the Dempse Hohenstein Theater. Jess, will you describe your character to us?

[2:27] Jesse McAnally: Yes, I am a shabbier um man, or should I say hill dwarf called Graygory Highland. I've been around for a while. I am very old. I am not very strong physically, but I've got my wits about me. My hair is grey, and I still have a I used to have a lot of charm to me, but that has withered away into nothing more than a twinkle in my eye.

[2:53] Tommy Nolan: And uh, Gregory, you find yourself in the Metropolis of Imperia because you've uh tore tore out a casting call from your local newspaper. This casting call reads Wanted, performers and other theater types. The Ledernander organization is holding an open casting call for positions in its magical theater productions. Auditions are held every Sunday in the second basement of the Dempse Hohenstein Theater, which is where you find yourself right now. You see in front of the Hohenstein has an imposing marquee shining above you. On it is a ten foot tall, magical neon face of a smiling elf lady with bright white teeth. Beneath that it says Caroline Chandler is Dragotha in Hello Dragotha by Florence Schick.

[3:41] Jesse McAnally: Oh crazy.

[3:43] Tommy Nolan: Of course, underneath that it says, everyone's favorite Drago Lich is back and will never go away again.

[3:52] Jesse McAnally: Sounds like a threat. Things ain't like how they used to be. And so, Gregory, you turn the corner past the marquee and head down the blue neon lit alleyway just to the side of the Dempse Hohenstein. There, you see in front of you, um, another humanoid figure. Christy, will you describe your character?

[4:11] Christi Esterle: I am D'syraeah the Magnificent, once the greatest magical theater performer of my time, which was about three centuries ago. I am no longer young, but I still retain my commanding presence and the unmistakable charisma that made me a star. With me is my constant companion, my cat, Lord Adamitas the 14th. Isn't that right, Addie Snuggly Boy, my sweet little baby?

[4:44] Tommy Nolan: I assume you say anything to D'syraeah?

[4:47] Jesse McAnally: I smile and nod, but I don't say anything out loud.

[4:51] Tommy Nolan: Alright. I recognize her.

[4:54] Christi Esterle: Ah, of course, from the old good old days.

[4:57] Jesse McAnally: Nah.

[4:59] Christi Esterle: Ah, it's always nice to be noticed.

[5:03] Tommy Nolan: Um, you find yourself in front of a red, dusty-looking door labeled stage door in glowing enchanted blue script. What do you do?

[5:10] Jesse McAnally: I um stare at the door for a very long time. I turn to D'syraeah and I give her the nod, like, look what I'm about to do, and then I push open the stage door.

[5:21] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Uh, as you push open the stage door, uh, you run into something, um, and you hear someone go, Oh, um, and behind this door, you encounter someone else, Emily, will you describe your character?

[5:31] Emily Clark: The name's Evelyn Forte. I'm a brassy, loud, charismatic, singing dragon-born sorcerer. I can play any part. My charisma's off the charts. You want a kid? I could be a kid. You need a 90-year-old lady? That's me, baby. No microphones or amplification needed. Evelyn Forte is here to help you. Just don't stand downstage center of me.

[6:02] Tommy Nolan: I react to that entire intro very much like my hearing aid has gone off, but I'm not wearing the hearing aid.

[6:12] Jesse McAnally: Ha ha!

[6:15] Christi Esterle: Hello, Evelyn. It is a pleasure to meet you. I give her an imperious look as if I haven't quite decided what to make of her yet.

[6:24] Emily Clark: Oh. Well, D'syraeah. We meet again.

[6:28] Christi Esterle: Yes.

[6:30] Emily Clark: You two have missed.

[6:33] Christi Esterle: We have.

[6:34] Emily Clark: Oh yeah.

[6:35] Christi Esterle: Oh yeah. She's been around longer than I have, for sure.

[6:39] Emily Clark: But I've heard her name.

[6:41] Jesse McAnally: And I am Graygory Highland. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Forte.

[6:44] Emily Clark: Yeah, I've never heard of you.

[6:48] Jesse McAnally: So nice to meet you, Grugery. I'm I'm from times that you may not have known of.

[6:54] Emily Clark: Oh, alright. Times I may not have heard of. So do you gotta use those uh body mics, don't you?

[7:04] Jesse McAnally: I have never used a body mic, no. I I once was very big here, and then I kind of went into the countryside.

[7:10] Emily Clark: Oh, bless your heart. Well, it's good of you to join me here. I welcome everyone. As long as they, you know, know who I am.

[7:21] Jesse McAnally: Well, now your name is very hard to miss.

[7:24] Emily Clark: Evelyn Forte!

[7:26] Christi Esterle: As is your voice. In a room you light it up like a fire lights everything.

[7:34] Emily Clark: I will take that as a compliment, young man.

[7:36] Jesse McAnally: Old man, I don't know your age.

[7:39] Emily Clark: Old man.

[7:40] Jesse McAnally: Very old. The three of you find yourselves in uh the anteroom just inside of the stage door of the Dempse-Hohenstein Theater. Um no one's here. There's a staircase leading downward. Um I assume you all ended up here because you all tore out that same uh hopeful seeming uh scrap of newspaper and are here for Sunday auditions.

[7:58] Christi Esterle: Oh yes.

[7:59] Tommy Nolan: Um, which of course indicates uh you uh ooh, how about let's play some dungeons and dragons? Um I would like someone to roll everyone to roll uh or uh perception check.

[8:11] Jesse McAnally: Perception.

[8:13] Emily Clark: Okay, so what do I have to do?

[8:14] Tommy Nolan: So you take a D20 dice, uh-huh. Which is the complicated one, roll it.

[8:19] Emily Clark: Yeah.

[8:20] Tommy Nolan: Yes. Uh-huh. And then add to that number, there's a perception uh on in the big list of skills.

[8:25] Christi Esterle: Perception.

[8:26] Emily Clark: Oh, I see it. Okay.

[8:27] Jesse McAnally: Oh shoot. We're off to a roaring start.

[8:33] Christi Esterle: 15.

[8:35] Jesse McAnally: I've got a 15.

[8:36] Emily Clark: Mine is extremely apt. I've got a five.

[8:40] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Uh Evelyn.

[8:43] Tommy Nolan: Old man, young man, I don't know. Evelyn, you're sure you are inside. Um, the other two, uh, you notice on the wall is a a kind of crooked uh sign pointing down this staircase, and it says Ekant Basement. It looks like uh part of it may have uh fallen off, and there's an arrow pointing downwards.

[9:02] Christi Esterle: Let's go to the Ecken basement.

[9:03] Jesse McAnally: So we go up or we go down.

[9:07] Christi Esterle: Oh, I'm not very perceptive, you see.

[9:09] Jesse McAnally: Yes, that much is clear.

[9:11] Tommy Nolan: Uh you is there a handrail to the to the second basement?

[9:15] Christi Esterle: There is a handrail to the second basement.

[9:17] Jesse McAnally: Are you I grip it for dear life as my knees try to bring myself down the stairs?

[9:22] Christi Esterle: What kind of lighting do we have in here?

[9:24] Tommy Nolan: Um it's it's you know, dimly lit, backstage lighting. Um a couple blue bulbs, a couple normal, um, you know, white-looking bulbs. And I say bulbs, but obviously everything is enchanted here, so they're just magic glowing orbs, but still sitting in cages attached to the wall.

[9:38] Tommy Nolan: Um show us, show us, you you descend slowly and carefully, you septuagenarian crew you. Um two flights of cramped stairs. And you know how when you walk into a new theater you can just kind of smell the magic in the air. You you smell it here too. Perhaps it's the dust, but there's there's something going on there. And you arrive at the second basement. It's a a long cramped hallway. Um, and you uh see a sign at the very end of the hall that says auditions at the door at the end of the hall. Um are you gonna head down the hallway towards this door, perhaps?

[10:15] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[10:15] Christi Esterle: I stand for a while, and in the back of my head I hear, I don't know why I'm frightened. I I know my way around here, and uh like I'm having apprehensions right then and there.

[10:26] Tommy Nolan: Yeah, have uh have any of you played the Hoenstein before?

[10:29] Christi Esterle: It's a it's a pretty old theater.

[10:30] Jesse McAnally: A great many years ago.

[10:33] Christi Esterle: My second husband and I met at my opening night here.

[10:37] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, I I played the lead in Jorpsy just last year here.

[10:42] Christi Esterle: Many years ago I had my greatest success here, and then several years later I had my greatest failure here.

[10:47] Jesse McAnally: How ominous.

[10:48] Christi Esterle: Oh.

[10:48] Tommy Nolan: Is that right now?

[10:50] Christi Esterle: We'll see.

[10:51] Tommy Nolan: Oh. Um, you start walking down the hallway. You notice a couple things. There's a sign on the wall that says uh absolutely no prestidigitation in this corridor. Um, and it looks like there's a fiery blast mark on the corner of that. Um there's a smattering of props here and there, a discarded boa, a stuffed dragon head puppet. Um you pass by a couple doors and you read the signs on them. One says Usher's quarters. Um you see three doors in a row. The first says magical props, the next one says non-magical props, and the last one says impractical props. Um, and then uh there is uh another door at the very end, not the one that says auditions, but it also says toilets on it.

[11:27] Christi Esterle: Oh, thank God.

[11:29] Tommy Nolan: And then uh you approach this door at the very end with a uh semi-eskew sign that says auditions on it. Um and you you seem to hear some uh muffled arguing going on uh behind this door.

[11:41] Tommy Nolan: You can't quite make it out, but there's you know the telltale signs of uh uh a conversation gone wrong. Oh what do y'all do?

[11:48] Christi Esterle: What do you guys think we should do?

[11:49] Jesse McAnally: Alright, let's get together. Let's make a plan.

[11:51] Christi Esterle: Now hold on. You don't know what they're talking about. They could be working on casting right now.

[11:56] Jesse McAnally: Fair, fair enough. I would like to find out. Um can I make a listen check at the door?

[12:00] Tommy Nolan: Sure. Um you can make uh another perception check.

[12:03] Tommy Nolan: So uh go ahead uh roll a D20 for me.

[12:08] Christi Esterle: Okay, I've got a nine plus four thirteen.

[12:12] Tommy Nolan: Alright, uh with a 13, uh D'syraeah, you uh lean your uh your ear uh up up to the door. Um, um and uh you can you can hear muffled from behind you. Why I I've told you once and I've told you a thousand times, Susie, you don't deserve to be in this theater.

[12:26] Christi Esterle: I do.

[12:27] Emily Clark: Ooh. That voice sounds familiar to me.

[12:30] Tommy Nolan: Um, do you wanna, Evelyn? You can roll a history check and see if you recognize that.

[12:37] Emily Clark: I would love to roll a history check.

[12:39] Tommy Nolan: Okay.

[12:40] Emily Clark: I roll the dice. I'm doing the thing.

[12:46] Emily Clark: Uh uh, I'm a I'm a I'm a four.

[12:52] Tommy Nolan: With a history check of four. Uh my memory ain't what it used to be.

[12:57] Tommy Nolan: You're positive that that is the voice of a person.

[13:01] Emily Clark: Wow.

[13:02] Tommy Nolan: So I was right.

[13:03] Emily Clark: That's all that's all you know. It's not a jellico cact.

[13:07] Christi Esterle: Yes. It is certainly this this person is, or this uh humanoid, I should say, is certainly speaking common, uh, the general language of Imperial.

[13:15] Tommy Nolan: Alright, alright, good. Can I do a stealth check?

[13:18] Tommy Nolan: You can absolutely try to crack open the door and peer inside without alerting them.

[13:24] Tommy Nolan: Sure, absolutely. Go ahead, roll stealth for me.

[13:26] Christi Esterle: Alrighty.

[13:28] Christi Esterle: Um, eleven plus two, thirteen.

[13:30] Tommy Nolan: Thirteen. Alright. Um Gregory, you uh very carefully get down on your knees. I know that's uh a bit of a uh an ordeal for you.

[13:41] Tommy Nolan: Be careful.

[13:42] Christi Esterle: Um, I'm careful.

[13:44] Tommy Nolan: To uh uh you peer through uh the keyhole in um in the storeway, and you do see a couple things. This is certainly an audition room. You can see uh three figures uh seated at a uh table um and two other figures, one who uh seems to be um uh angrily pointing um at at the three figures seated at the table.

[14:05] Tommy Nolan: Um you you he you relate that this figure pointing is saying something like you don't deserve I cannot believe the Leeder Nanders have let this happen, and you should know better, Lily. You've been a part of the uh and then um as uh quickly as you've leaned down, you uh very abruptly witness a fifth figure in this room because this fifth figure is right next to the door. Um and they twist the knob and open it into your face, and I'm gonna need you to take one point of damage.

[14:31] Jesse McAnally: Oh no!

[14:32] Emily Clark: Oh Craig!

[14:34] Jesse McAnally: Ouch!

[14:35] Tommy Nolan: Ah Gregory, you uh you stumble back uh reeling from a doorknob to the face.

[14:40] Jesse McAnally: Oh no.

[14:42] Tommy Nolan: And uh uh you you hear a voice go, Oh, oh dear, I am oh my goodness, I am so sorry. Um and in front of you you see a uh a tall uh scraggly elf in a laurel green tweed suit jacket um with elbow patches on it. He's got wearing a Paisley tie. Um and he's he's got a suitcase with him that has like papers haphazardly stuffed into it. He's not holding it like or like a briefcase, not holding it like you would hold a briefcase, but grasping it between his arms as he used it to open this door. Um and he says, like, oh my god, I do I do apologize. Um Mo, Mo, there's some people out here.

[15:17] Tommy Nolan: Oh and you hear that other figure, the uh the one who is angrily pointing goes, What? Other people? No one shows up to these auditions. Um and uh behind um this man, the scraggly elf, you see another figure uh appear. Um this this uh figure is a short, stout dwarf. Uh he's wearing a pinstripe cloak that's lined on the inside with a shimmery burgundy silk. He has certainly been yelling, he is red in the face and uh uh a very, very huffy looking. Um and he says, Leon, Leon, who who is out here? What's what's going on? Uh, what do you all do?

[15:50] Emily Clark: It's me!

[15:51] Emily Clark: Oh no, oh no, God.

[15:53] Emily Clark: Oh, God. It's me! Evelyn Forte!

[15:57] Emily Clark: Oh no.

[15:57] Emily Clark: I'm here to audition!

[15:59] Emily Clark: No need to. No need for autographs. No need to thank me. But I am here.

[16:08] Tommy Nolan: You you see this dwarf in the pinstripe cloak uh uh rest his uh face on his hand and goes, Oh my god, Evelyn Forte, I thought you went upstate to a farm. You're back.

[16:20] Emily Clark: I did. I went upstate for a while. I had some, let's call them uh exhaustion issues. Uh and now I am back, ready to bring my career back. Not that it was ever gone, mind you. I've always been a household name.

[16:36] Tommy Nolan: Oh yes, exhaustion issues. We know what that means.

[16:39] Emily Clark: I have no idea what you're talking about.

[16:43] Tommy Nolan: And uh this is a rye-rai. This this dwarf, uh, Mo Pumpernickel. Uh he looks between the three of you. Uh Gregory, I assume you're still on the ground, having just been beamed in the face.

[16:56] Jesse McAnally: Yes, I am trying to reach for something to push myself up.

[16:59] Emily Clark: He's fine.

[17:00] Christi Esterle: He's fine.

[17:01] Christi Esterle: Hoping that someone might gr lend me a hand or something.

[17:04] Tommy Nolan: You're not that far from the ground. Just pick yourself up.

[17:06] Christi Esterle: I'll pull you up.

[17:08] Tommy Nolan: You see, uh, all right, so you pull Gregory up as a So many cracks as she does it.

[17:13] Jesse McAnally: I do it fast. It's like eating lobster. There's so many cracks.

[17:17] Tommy Nolan: Um you see Mo turn around and point at these three figures at the table and goes, This is my last word on this. You wouldn't know a good show if it bit me in the ass.

[17:29] Tommy Nolan: Um and then Leon, the man with the the uh suitcase turns around, bit you bit you in the ass, boss, bit you in the ass.

[17:35] Tommy Nolan: And then Mo said, That's what I said. Bit me in the ass. Um, and then the two of them storm past you out the doorways, at the door uh that you just opened, back down the hallway and up the stairs.

[17:46] Christi Esterle: Sounds like they got some problems with their show. We all know how this business is.

[17:49] Christi Esterle: Can I ask a question, DM?

[17:51] Tommy Nolan: Absolutely.

[17:52] Christi Esterle: Yes. Um, this is just about the newspaper clipping.

[17:54] Tommy Nolan: Sure.

[17:54] Christi Esterle: Um, how many roles are there? Are we like all going in for like the same role?

[17:58] Tommy Nolan: Uh you're you could uh I'm you there are uh some other people in this room who uh you could certainly ask them some questions if you have some questions.

[18:05] Christi Esterle: All right, all right. I've been I've been in this business a very long time. I'd like to see if I recognize anybody in the room and any history they might have with one another.

[18:17] Tommy Nolan: Okay, roll a roll a perception check.

[18:19] Christi Esterle: Rolling a perception check.

[18:22] Christi Esterle: Ooh, eighteen and four is twenty-two.

[18:25] Tommy Nolan: All right, uh uh Desirea with a 22. You stand, you've I believe all entered this audition room at this point, uh, and you're standing next to each other, staring at these three people who are in the room. Um, you say nothing to them. You just Desiree, you stare intently.

[18:41] Christi Esterle: It's a casting strategy. I just stare and stroke my cat my pet cats.

[18:47] Tommy Nolan: Uh uh, the uh woman at the far end of the table, um, who's a spry middle-aged human with bright red hair and a very kind smile. She says, Oh my goodness, if it isn't Desirea, Evelyn, and are are you but Gregory?

[19:03] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[19:03] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[19:04] Tommy Nolan: It has been years since y'all have trod the boards. Hi. I love all of your work. I can't believe we are so graced with your presence. Lily, Lily, these are the golden oldies, are they not?

[19:15] Tommy Nolan: And uh this uh woman sitting in the middle. Exkios. This woman sitting in the middle who is a tall, pale half elf-elf. Uh she's got a great platinum undercut going on.

[19:26] Tommy Nolan: Oh, well, hi, y'all. I've got all y'all's albums. Oh what a what a delightful day. Um and you see her poke uh uh the last person sitting at the table who uh is uh uh the oldest dragonborn woman you've ever seen. Uh you have no idea how old this woman is, and you all are pretty old to begin with. Um she is seated in this chair, head back over her shoulders, uh snoring, um, just dead out. And Lily pokes her and goes, Ann, Ann, you gotta uh, never mind. Anna wake up in a second. Hey y'all, welcome to the audition. Charmed.

[20:01] Christi Esterle: And uh Susie stands up and says, Yes, hello, my name is uh Susie Bowman. Um I was just I was just doing industrials when you all uh trod the boards here. But um I am uh the delightful director for uh Hello Dragotha. Um and want to welcome you to the Leader Nander's um general audition. I I assume that's why you're all here today.

[20:20] Emily Clark: Yes.

[20:21] Emily Clark: I get nervous and try to hide my black eye immediately.

[20:24] Emily Clark: Listen, kid, I was born to play the role of Dragofa.

[20:28] Tommy Nolan: Ah, yes, Drago. Well, we have already, as you saw, um uh Caroline Chandler. Hold on, I have to check. That's actually the name of the character in this movie. Um yes, we've already uh cast Caroline Chandler in in the in the role of Dragotha, but of course the Leader Nando organization has uh plenty of openings um uh across all.

[20:48] Emily Clark: Chandler! Chandler! She's uh heck! Talk about exhaustion, am I right, Desiree?

[20:56] Christi Esterle: Um uh yes, uh, I know the rumors of Caroline Chandler's involvement in the show have been uh making the but none about that. Um Lily, shall we would uh would you all like to do some uh some cold reads for us? Uh uh Lily here can uh cold read with each of you if that's uh something you'd be uh interested in in in doing.

[21:15] Emily Clark: I live for cold reads.

[21:17] Christi Esterle: I I am I would love to volunteer before this one chimes in to volunteer.

[21:21] Tommy Nolan: All right. Uh all right. Um so uh uh uh Gregory, if you could I can't even recall how many centuries it has been since I've been asked to do a cold reading. Um and uh Susie ignores your statement, uh Desirea, and uh says, All right, uh Gregory, if you could uh take the mark here. Um you're the two. There are some chairs on the side if you'd like to uh take the seat.

[21:30] Tommy Nolan: Um and uh Susie snaps her fingers and the lights in this room change suddenly, and there is definitely a uh spotlight that appears on uh this little spike mark on the floor um where she has indicated, Gregory that you shall go stand.

[21:54] Jesse McAnally: Alright, I I do so. Um I get there, and suddenly, like just the with the adrenaline and performing, my movements are a little more fluid, and I am a little bit more able to work than any time any of these people have seen me before this.

[22:09] Tommy Nolan: Excellent. Um so you take your mark. Susie sits down back behind the table, and Lily hops up um and suddenly uh is wearing uh very casual suit uh with a tie on it. Uh seems to have pressed to digitate it herself to that. Um and uh Lily Lily walks up to you, stands next to you for a second. Uh Susie uh sits down, purchase some glasses on the tip of her nose, uh, takes a note for a second, looks uh up at you all and says, Um, alright. Whenever you're ready.

[22:37] Tommy Nolan: Um and the moment she says that, uh Lily uh walks up to you, reaches into um her pocket, and hands to you, Gregory, um, a ticket.

[22:47] Jesse McAnally: I I try not to react, but I do feel the ticket going into my pocket.

[22:52] Tommy Nolan: Um I wait for her to kind of walk past me a bit, and then I s try to subtly pull it out.

[22:58] Tommy Nolan: So she she is she is standing there with the ticket in her fingers, motioning towards you and handing it to you.

[23:04] Jesse McAnally: Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Um I go out and reach it.

[23:08] Tommy Nolan: All right. Um you grab the ticket.

[23:10] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[23:11] Tommy Nolan: And uh you stand there for a second and you see uh Susie at the audition table, and she looks over the brim of her glasses and um kind of does a subtle.

[23:19] Jesse McAnally: I look down and read the ticket just before like I start anything, just so I can have context of what's going on.

[23:26] Tommy Nolan: Absolutely. You see in uh in your hand is a a ticket. It's about um maybe three inches uh across and one inch wide. Um and it says on it, admit one. Uh, and there's a perforated line, and along that perforated line it says tear here.

[23:40] Jesse McAnally: Alright, that that's a lot of help. Alright, I stuff that into my pocket and I look right ahead, and suddenly performance mode comes on, and all the weary worldness goes away in me, and I pull out the tomorrow and tomorrow from W Wilhard Shakesman, a very famous uh dwarf poet.

[24:00] Tommy Nolan: And as you are halfway through that monologue, Susie looks up over her glasses and says, Thank you, that will be enough, and claps her hands and the lights change back to the normal lights in that room um and motions for you to take a seat.

[24:11] Christi Esterle: I thought you did well.

[24:12] Tommy Nolan: And uh Lily comes back around and also joins her back at the table. And Susie says, Would um would someone like to um uh perhaps try a different tact in a scene?

[24:24] Christi Esterle: Go up then, D.

[24:25] Emily Clark: Go up, D. You got this.

[24:27] Christi Esterle: Very well.

[24:28] Tommy Nolan: All right, Desirea, uh, you head up to that same spike mark. Um uh Susie claps her hands once again. This time, however, instead of all of the lights um uh turning off and a spotlight turning on on you, all of the entire lights in the entire room go pitch black, and you are standing in complete darkness when you feel someone, you assume it's Lily, hand you a flashlight.

[24:52] Christi Esterle: What do you do?

[24:53] Christi Esterle: I turn on the flashlight.

[24:55] Tommy Nolan: All right. You turn on the flashlight, and as if by magic, because it is magic, in front of you appear a row of theater seats. Um, and to your left is Lily once again. And uh uh she turns to you and goes, Ha there, I'm in a uh B27. I was wondering if you could help me out.

[25:11] Christi Esterle: Are you implying that you want me to be an usher?

[25:15] Tommy Nolan: B27, yes. Um uh I I was hoping I could sit before the or uh the overture ends, please.

[25:22] Christi Esterle: Do you know who I am?

[25:25] Tommy Nolan: Uh well uh yes, it says right there on your um uh your your uh little name tag there that you're uh uh the uh lead usher.

[25:33] Christi Esterle: I would like to make an intimidation check.

[25:36] Tommy Nolan: Okay.

[25:37] Christi Esterle: Or an okay, go ahead, roll it for intimidation.

[25:39] Tommy Nolan: What are you trying to do?

[25:41] Christi Esterle: Okay. I am trying to convince her that this is not where I am meant to be.

[25:46] Tommy Nolan: All right, and uh what'd you roll?

[25:48] Christi Esterle: I rolled a nine.

[25:49] Tommy Nolan: All right, nine, nine okay. Um what is what does this look like?

[25:53] Christi Esterle: I have trod on the boards before. Your grandparents were a twinkle in their parents' eyes. I do not usher.

[26:03] Jesse McAnally: From the back, you hear me applauding.

[26:06] Tommy Nolan: And uh uh Gregory, as uh as you applaud, uh the you hear a snap and the lights turn back on this room. Um you can see that uh Susie Bowman is standing on her feet behind the table and she says, Thank you, that will be quite enough, and motions for you uh uh Desirea to go back and sit down.

[26:23] Tommy Nolan: Susie sits back down, Lily rejoins her. Evelyn, it looks like um you're our only hope.

[26:29] Emily Clark: Ah, saving the best for last, I see.

[26:31] Tommy Nolan: Take a mark, please.

[26:33] Emily Clark: Mark taken.

[26:36] Tommy Nolan: Once once again, Susie Bowman snaps her fingers, and suddenly when she does that, the lights don't change, but Lily disappears. Um, and then in front of you, Evelyn, appear um six different uh patrons they look like, each with a number uh that uh is on their chest um in some kind of magical script. Uh you hear Sarah say to you, um, now, Evelyn, we need uh someone uh for this position who has a keen eye, as I know you do, um, and uh who can um judge which patrons we do and do not want to attend our shows. Um so in front of you are uh six uh pressed digital patrons.

[27:17] Emily Clark: Uh thank you, Lily. And you hear all six of the people at the same time go, Well, it's no problem, y'all.

[27:22] Tommy Nolan: Uh Evelyn, um, I would like you to um figure out uh which of these patrons you would not let in to see our show.

[27:30] Emily Clark: All right. I want to get a good look at each of these patrons. I want to see what they look like. How can I do that?

[27:37] Tommy Nolan: Uh you could do that with uh how about another perception check.

[27:41] Emily Clark: Okay.

[27:42] Tommy Nolan: Perception.

[27:43] Emily Clark: It's not been great so far, so let's see what we got.

[27:48] Emily Clark: Okay, all right, okay. I got a 14.

[27:51] Tommy Nolan: A 14. With a 14, you see, all six of these people are uh quite the assortment of people. Um number one uh is uh an older looking uh male hill dwarf. Um number two is a uh human sh soldier who seems to be fidgeting a bit. He's got pink skin and a hat on. Number three, uh, is a tiny, tiny, very young looking uh half-elf girl. Um, she's wearing bizarre large golden spectacles, which have many more lenses than the two that her eyes seem to look through. Um number four is uh uh a halfling. Um he looks like he just came from work. He's uh covered in some mining dust, it appears, and he's got a a piercing on his left ear. Um number five is a very old looking uh human warlock with a long straight gray hair, and uh he stares back at you with a cold, cold grin. Um and number six is uh another dragonborn. Um he's got smooth gray scales and a regular build um and a and a soft kind looking face.

[28:48] Emily Clark: All right. That's a good mix. So just so I know, how many do I have to weed out here?

[28:55] Tommy Nolan: There is exactly one patron in this lineup who we would absolutely forbid from attending any of our shows.

[29:02] Emily Clark: All right. Um you could also you could roll perception checks or insight checks. You could do more if you want to uh learn more about these.

[29:10] Tommy Nolan: Yeah, insight.

[29:11] Emily Clark: Let's do insight. I want to do an insight check.

[29:16] Tommy Nolan: All right, go ahead and roll insight.

[29:17] Emily Clark: I'm gonna roll. Okay, so let's see.

[29:20] Tommy Nolan: 11 plus I got 13.

[29:22] Tommy Nolan: 13, with an insight check. Um, you're curious about those uh golden spectacles on the tiny half-elf number three. Um they they look a little big for her head. Um, and uh she, as you notice these spectacles, uh kind of looks at you and then kind of looks away, trying to obscure your ability to uh look at these spectacles.

[29:43] Emily Clark: Uh hey, you little young half-elf girl. Hey, what's your deal?

[29:48] Half-elf: Oh, hi. Why, why you need those glasses?

[29:51] Half-elf: Uh me, me, y'all? Oh, well, these are these are the all the all the newest trend. Uh I uh, you know, these are these are me, my my opera glasses.

[29:59] Emily Clark: Well, yeah, but do they help you watch the show or do they distract you during the show?

[30:04] Emily Clark: Oh, well, or are they recording the show?

[30:06] Half-elf: Yeah, that's not allowed here.

[30:07] Tommy Nolan: Gregory, as you say that from the corner, you all see uh this uh number three half-elf kind of uh retreat backwards and go, oh, oh no, I would I would never record a show. Live live theater's meant to be witnessed live. I know these these are just these are just style glasses, of course.

[30:24] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, yeah. I've been around a long time, little half-elf with golden spectacles, and I've never seen a half-elf who needs to wear spectacles. So I'm thinking these are enchanted spectacles, and that you're gonna be saving some of this on your magic glasses to take back to your young half-elves back home to watch without paying the gold for admission.

[30:50] Tommy Nolan: And you hear all these things happened at once. You hear from the audition table another snap as all of those patrons disappear except for number three, which transforms back into Lily Ledernander. Um, and from behind you from the audition table, you hear the quietest and slowest.

[31:12] Unknown speaker: I join in.

[31:16] Tommy Nolan: And Susie Bowman is on her feet clapping. Lily walks around to join her and begin clapping. Um Anne at the end, the dragonborn is still uh dead asleep. And uh uh Susie says, My goodness. And Susie walks over and pokes Ann and goes, Anne, Anne! I think we found them. Um, and Anne, the the dangerously old dragonborn, starts away and goes, ah, what was that? And uh she sits at her table and contemplates you, Evelyn standing um in the middle, and uh uh D'syraeah sitting on the side, and Gregory also sitting there clapping. And she goes, Ah, all right, the three of you, you're hired. And then she immediately falls back asleep. Um and Susie Bowman says, My goodness, what a delightful day. The three of you, I am so happy to welcome you to the Leadernander organization as our newest batch of ushers.

[32:09] Emily Clark: Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. Uh, next steps, next steps, right? Uh, Lily, what are what are the uh how do we do this? We haven't we've been at an Usher dearth for such a long time, I forget what we what our ushers need to do next.

[32:20] Christi Esterle: I turn to D'syraeah and I whisper in her ear, I don't remember an Usher part in this show. I don't remember Ushers needing an audition. I don't remember Ushers.

[32:31] Tommy Nolan: Lily doesn't hear any of you except Evelyn, but kind of passes that thought off. Um she walks up to the three and says, Well, y'all, uh this is so great. So opening night is uh tomorrow night, so that'll be your uh first night on the job. Come uh two hours uh before showtime. Between now and then, you're gonna have to head over to Tim Taylor's Taylor and Trinkets uh to get fitted for your ushering uniforms. Um and then the Leader Nander organization does have an agreement with uh the Patink Inn um in the delightful establishment that I think you'll enjoy. Uh if you're looking for lodging while you're here in Imperia.

[33:06] Emily Clark: I love that. Oh, thank you very much. Um I I this did not go quite as we expected. I don't think if you can tell by our reactions that that this is not exactly ideal.

[33:18] Jesse McAnally: Oh, okay. Hey, speak for yourself. I haven't had applause like that since I started.

[33:22] Unknown speaker: Elfie Get Your Wand.

[33:27] Tommy Nolan: Well, y'all, you know, you got the part. Um, do you need help? Uh I can point you in the direction of uh Tim Taylors if you need it.

[33:33] Emily Clark: Fine. Sure.

[33:35] Tommy Nolan: Very well. All right. Um and uh uh Lily heads over to Susie. Um uh they they uh talk for a second. Um and Lily says, All right, uh uh Susie, is there anything else you need from me? And Susie goes, No, I think we'll head up and do um one more brief round of rehearsals with the the cast. They should be back from break soon. Um and uh Lily, find out uh what was the name of um Oh, I do want I do want to go through the files and see why we did say no to Mo Pumpernickel's show. What was what was that show called? Um and Lily says, Oh, do you don't you remember he said it's called Dear Elvin Hansen? Um yes, uh dear Elvin Hansen. Alright, I shall go look that up just to see. I don't under he's such a anyway.

Thank you all so much for auditioning. Um Lily will lead you out. Um and then Susie gives Lily a quick little peck on the cheek and heads out uh a doorway to the side, and Lily's like, Well, come on, y'all! And uh leads you out the doorway uh down the hallway you came through. Do you follow?

[34:32] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[34:32] Unknown speaker: Yes, but I grab a handrail as we go towards the stair.

[34:36] Tommy Nolan: All right, uh Lily walks at a uh a normal pace ahead of the um the three of you, and uh you all kind of teeter totter behind her um up the up the creaky staircase, um, from past the first baseman, past those doors again, uh, and out the stage door of the Dempse Hohenstein Theater. Um you were in this alleyway before, lit in blue, uh, but this time as you exit into it, you hear Lily herself gasp. She goes, and in front of you, you see something something you didn't see when you walked down here the first time. You see uh two figures slumped on the ground. They don't seem to be moving, uh, and you recognize them as Mo Pumpernickel and Leon Crumbs, the one who hit you in the face with the door earlier, Gregory.

His briefcase is wide open with papers scattered everywhere. And as your eye traces these papers up the alleyway, you see at the end of it three hooded figures. Each of these figures is wearing a maroon cloak, and on the back of that cloak is uh emblazoned a red and yellow bird across the shoulders. You can't see uh the faces of these figures if they have faces, but beneath their hoods where they might have faces, instead of shadow, uh the whole place just seems to be glowing. Their whole like face area seems to be glowing. As you uh as you and Lily walk out the door and she gasps and goes, the understudies.

[35:59] Tommy Nolan: And uh with that we're gonna roll for initiative.

[36:04] Unknown speaker: Oh no!

[36:05] Unknown speaker: All right.

[36:20] Tommy Nolan: And welcome to intermission of the first episode of Once More With Dragons. Um, thank you so much uh for listening. We have been so excited to bring this podcast and series to you. Uh the gang and I have been working so hard on this one and been keeping it a secret for so long. So we're so excited we finally get to share it with you. On that topic, we are a new podcast.

[36:44] Tommy Nolan: So here are some things you can do to help us out. Uh, first, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. That's the number one way to help our podcast get some traction. Uh secondly, you can tweet about the podcast using the hashtag once more cast. Uh, send us the names of DD themed musicals, uh, things like Hello Dragotha, and maybe your musical will be featured in an episode one day. Uh, you can also check out all of our social stuff, Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. You can find all of that on oncemorewithdragons.com. And of course, most importantly, tell your friends about this new weird, wacky musical theater themed dungeons and dragons podcast that you know they need to listen to.

[37:26] Tommy Nolan: Our troupe this week is Evelyn Forte, the brassy mouthed dragonborn sorcerer, played by Emily Clark. You can find Emily over at Stealing Focus on YouTube. D'syraeah the Magnificent, a high elf druid and daughter of theatrical royalty, is played by Christi Esterle. You can find Christi, aka the Diva over at Musical Hell on YouTube. Graygory Highland, the two-timing dwarfish rogue, is played by Jesse McAnally. You can find Jesse's other podcast Musicals with Cheese in a podcatcher in your pocket right now. And of course, I'm Tommy Nolan, your dungeon master, Musical Theatre Mash on YouTube and all other places online. Our artwork is by Derek Trust, and special thanks this week to our story consultants Wes, Katie Flynn, and Jimmy.

Thank you all so much. Additional thanks, of course, to Broadway Podcast Network for having us on the network. All of this information and more is available at oncemorewithdragons.com, including links to our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook page, as well as our Patreon. Thank you again so much for listening. I'll let you all get back to the show. Our next episode is available right now, so you can binge it right after this one is over. But quick, quick, head back, head back to your seats. The lights are blinking and the show's gonna the lights don't blink, it's a podcast. Anyway, here we go.

[38:40] Unknown speaker: And let's roll for initiative.

[38:45] Unknown speaker: Okay, I got an 11.

[38:47] Unknown speaker: 13.

[38:48] Unknown speaker: 13.

[38:49] Unknown speaker: 19.

[38:50] Unknown speaker: 19.

[38:50] Unknown speaker: Oh, actually, no, I got 18.

[38:52] Unknown speaker: 18.

[38:53] Unknown speaker: Wait, no, I have to add my initiative onto that, right?

[38:56] Unknown speaker: Yeah, so what do you get?

[38:57] Unknown speaker: 15, sorry.

[38:58] Tommy Nolan: And I have to roll. Um, in front of you. Here's a rundown of the scene. Uh, you exit the door. To your left are the downed bodies of Mo Pumpernickel and Leon Crumb, the producer and his assistant who you uh witnessed earlier having an argument with Susie. The four of you, Lily included, have exited. And in front of you, you see three cloaked figures a tall one, a medium height one, and a short one, all indecipherable, glowing in their face, all with this phoenix across their shoulder. And the first one to attack, uh, or the first one in the order is the medium one. Um you see uh this medium one reaches out its arm, um, or at least what you think is its arm, uh, because there seems to be no hand attached to its cloaked sleeve. Um, and uh it's going to point its cloaked sleeve towards you, Gregory.

[39:49] Tommy Nolan: Oh, and it is going to try and attack you. Um I rolled uh 16 against your AC.

[39:57] Jesse McAnally: That that will probably hit on a 12 AC.

[40:00] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Uh so that hits, and you see emanating from this sleeve a bolt of fire that goes across and it strikes you in the shoulder for three damage.

[40:12] Jesse McAnally: Oh no.

[40:13] Tommy Nolan: Go ahead and take that damage. Um it does briefly set your outfit on fire, but you're able to tap it out. And next in the order is Evelyn Forte.

[40:21] Emily Clark: All right. Um, I should I should pick one of my attacks ish. Yes.

[40:27] Tommy Nolan: Okay. All right. I uh uh let's do my crossbow.

[40:28] Emily Clark: All right. And uh who who are you?

[40:37] Tommy Nolan: I don't know.

[40:38] Emily Clark: The little one.

[40:39] Tommy Nolan: Okay, so you're you're aiming your crossbow at the little one. You're gonna roll uh it should say plus to hit for that.

[40:45] Emily Clark: Okay. Uh okay. Uh I got a nine.

[40:49] Tommy Nolan: All right. Uh you got a nine that that just hits. You're aiming for the the short one you said?

[40:54] Emily Clark: Yeah, the little one.

[40:55] Tommy Nolan: All right. Uh you let loose your crossbow uh and it flies through the air.

[41:05] Unknown speaker: Um, and it seems to sail straight through the thing, and you see it pop right back out the other end.

[41:11] Unknown speaker: It certainly rips the fabric, and you can see it hurt this cloaked thing.

[41:14] Tommy Nolan: Um how much damage did you do?

[41:15] Unknown speaker: I don't know.

[41:16] Tommy Nolan: Okay, uh wait.

[41:17] Unknown speaker: What does it say?

[41:18] Unknown speaker: 1D 8 through what does that mean?

[41:20] Unknown speaker: Oh, I need to roll the eight dice.

[41:22] Tommy Nolan: Yep, you roll an eight dice and then you subtract one from that.

[41:25] Unknown speaker: Okay, alright, we're getting it.

[41:27] Unknown speaker: Okay, five.

[41:28] Unknown speaker: Five.

[41:28] Tommy Nolan: All right. You hit this cloaked understudy for five damage.

[41:33] Unknown speaker: Um and you can see it's very worse off.

[41:36] Tommy Nolan: Uh where did you pull the short bow from?

[41:39] Unknown speaker: Was it just on your back?

[41:40] Graygory Highland: Kid, I got skills.

[41:43] Tommy Nolan: Um and of course, uh, as that uh bolt from the crossbow sails through uh this cloak this short cloaked figure, it's actually up next in the order.

[41:52] Tommy Nolan: Um, so it's gonna point its sleeve just like the other one, straight at you, Evelyn.

[41:57] Tommy Nolan: Uh does a 13 beat your armor class?

[42:00] Evelyn Forte: Um, I'm a 12.

[42:03] Tommy Nolan: Alright, so 13 just beats it.

[42:05] Unknown speaker: Um just beats it, yeah.

[42:07] Tommy Nolan: Like uh like the other cloaked figure did. Uh a bolt of flame shoots out of its sleeve and hits you for two damage.

[42:14] Christi Esterle: Oh no, Evelyn.

[42:18] Tommy Nolan: And uh up next in the order is uh D'syraeah.

[42:21] Graygory Highland: Get him D.

[42:22] Christi Esterle: Alright.

[42:24] Christi Esterle: All right, I position myself between the fallen men and the attackers, and I take and I direct poison spray at the person closest to me, at the um uh opponent closest to me.

[42:38] Tommy Nolan: All right, we'll say that's uh the medium one um who uh attacked Jess earlier.

[42:44] Tommy Nolan: Um and uh what does poison spray do?

[42:47] Christi Esterle: Poison spray. It says puff of project a puff of noxious gas from your plum.

[42:52] Christi Esterle: The creature must succeed on a constitution saving throw or take one d12 damage.

[42:56] Tommy Nolan: All right, uh let me roll constitution.

[43:00] Unknown speaker: Um have a great constitution.

[43:03] Tommy Nolan: Uh I got a Nat 1.

[43:05] Tommy Nolan: Um that totally fails.

[43:09] Tommy Nolan: Um so you uh emit this uh poison poof uh uh out of your what is this uh let's see I did one damage.

[43:20] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[43:21] Unknown speaker: I was taking a drink of water when that happened.

[43:24] Tommy Nolan: Um so uh you you outstretch your uh your finger uh attempting to emit a big poisonous cloud, and instead it there's just a little poof um and it drifts towards um this the medium cloaked figure and hits it for one damage.

[43:40] Tommy Nolan: And up next is Lily.

[43:42] Unknown speaker: Ugh, cursus still rusty.

[43:44] Unknown speaker: And uh uh Lily says, Oh, oh, y'all, I thought I haven't seen Under Studies. We'll we'll make short work of these folk.

[43:52] Unknown speaker: Um, and uh she pulls out indescribably from her pocket a long sword and rushes this same uh medium height uh cloaked figure, the same one that you just attempted to poison uh D'syraeah, and she hits and does Oh man, nine points of damage.

[44:13] Tommy Nolan: Um you see uh much like the bolt before uh from the crossbow, this uh longsword seems to effortlessly pierce the cloak of uh this medium-heighted.

[44:25] Tommy Nolan: Um and it the weirdest thing happens, it doesn't fall over, it doesn't make any noise, it just appears as if whatever corporeal form that was inside of this cloak just suddenly vanishes and the cloak falls to the ground.

[44:37] Unknown speaker: He's naked.

[44:38] Unknown speaker: Um and you've defeated the medium one.

[44:41] Unknown speaker: And we're fighting Jedi.

[44:44] Tommy Nolan: Up next in the order is the tallest of the three, and it is going to uh having seen um its brethren just murdered so viciously, it's going to extend its arm at Lily, and once again you see a bolt uh emanate from it, and uh it hits Lily for four damage.

[45:01] Unknown speaker: Um we killed the medium one.

[45:04] Tommy Nolan: Uh so back up to the top of the order is Evelyn.

[45:07] Unknown speaker: Oh, um wait, I thought Graygory was first.

[45:10] Unknown speaker: I was about to say, I don't think I've ever attacked now.

[45:13] Tommy Nolan: Oh, did you attack?

[45:13] Unknown speaker: Oh, I missed you in the order. We'll throw you in right now.

[45:15] Tommy Nolan: I'm sorry.

[45:16] Graygory Highland: I was like, I've just been sitting there with a broken shoulder.

[45:20] Unknown speaker: Yeah, he just got hit.

[45:22] Unknown speaker: He's so old.

[45:24] Graygory Highland: Hey, listen, I never I've done nothing in this entire engagement.

[45:27] Graygory Highland: I never I never said you got scorched a little bit.

[45:30] Tommy Nolan: I never said I was a great DM.

[45:33] Unknown speaker: I'm about to say, I'm just sad here, but I'm like, wow, they keep hitting him. I should probably help.

[45:38] Unknown speaker: It's taking him a while to get his bearings back.

[45:42] Unknown speaker: Yeah, sorry, you were you were so knocked aback.

[45:45] Unknown speaker: A lot of stuff has gone down while I'm just like rested, I guess.

[45:49] Unknown speaker: Took a nap.

[45:49] Unknown speaker: Poor old thing.

[45:51] Tommy Nolan: All right. My apologies, Graygory. What do you what do you do?

[45:53] Graygory Highland: I'm gonna do an attack with my dagger, because that's all I can do.

[45:57] Tommy Nolan: All right. Um there's a a short one.

[45:59] Tommy Nolan: And we've only got one left, so I just race at him.

[46:01] Unknown speaker: You got two left. There's a a short one and a tall one.

[46:02] Graygory Highland: Short one's looking pretty bad off.

[46:06] Graygory Highland: I'm gonna do the tall one.

[46:08] Tommy Nolan: I'm gonna go for that one.

[46:09] Tommy Nolan: All right, so you rush towards uh you rush towards this tall one. Uh go ahead roll an attack roll.

[46:16] Unknown speaker: Yep.

[46:17] Graygory Highland: Um, so I got a four plus two, so six.

[46:20] Tommy Nolan: Uh six.

[46:21] Tommy Nolan: Um, a six, unfortunately, does not hit.

[46:23] Tommy Nolan: So uh you run towards uh this uh tall cloak. What is what does it look like when Graygory runs?

[46:31] Graygory Highland: You see, when in the moment I do have I have agility, but when I'm like doing day-to-day stuff, it's like really a chore.

[46:38] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[46:38] Graygory Highland: So like the adrenaline.

[46:40] Unknown speaker: Yes.

[46:40] Graygory Highland: Honestly, when it the tie adrenaline, I'm good, so I look like I'm flowing like the guy that doesn't need a handrail.

[46:47] Tommy Nolan: Um D'syraeah and Evelyn, you see the most bizarre thing.

[46:51] Tommy Nolan: Uh Graygory, who previously was kind of stumbling and bumbling around, suddenly gets this uh firm determination in his shoulders and sprints towards this cloaked figure who just dives out of the way of his dagger as he as uh Graygory stabs midair.

[47:06] Tommy Nolan: And now we are back up to the top of the order with Evelyn.

[47:09] Evelyn Forte: I would like to use Okay, wait, can I ask a question?

[47:12] Unknown speaker: Absolutely.

[47:12] Evelyn Forte: Okay, thank you. I wanna use um one of my uh actions, but instead of hit points, it says 12 decks.

[47:20] Tommy Nolan: Okay.

[47:21] Tommy Nolan: What does that mean?

[47:22] Evelyn Forte: Um dexterity.

[47:24] Tommy Nolan: Yeah, your dexterity.

[47:25] Tommy Nolan: What does the action do?

[47:26] Evelyn Forte: I want to use my breath weapon.

[47:28] Tommy Nolan: Oh, your your breath weapon.

[47:29] Tommy Nolan: Yes.

[47:30] Tommy Nolan: So you're a dragon.

[47:31] Evelyn Forte: Yeah.

[47:31] Tommy Nolan: Um, and your breath weapon is fire.

[47:34] Tommy Nolan: Um, so uh I this character who you're attacking would have to beat a 12 dexterity save.

[47:41] Tommy Nolan: Um and then if it doesn't, you do two d6 of damage to it.

[47:45] Evelyn Forte: Um you know what? Screw it. Let's go for it. I want to use brass.

[47:53] Unknown speaker: Alright.

[47:56] Unknown speaker: Johnny could only sing one note and then what he sang.

[47:58] Unknown speaker: What is this?

[47:59] Unknown speaker: Okay. Let's go.

[48:01] Tommy Nolan: You you reel back and emit a lesser known uh musical theater piece.

[48:07] Unknown speaker: Um, Rogers and Hart.

[48:09] Tommy Nolan: Thank you very much. I have to save against 12 decks.

[48:14] Tommy Nolan: It felt like I was run by an alcoholic.

[48:18] Unknown speaker: Oh that was good.

[48:21] Tommy Nolan: Which one which one are you aiming for?

[48:22] Evelyn Forte: Uh there's the big one.

[48:25] Evelyn Forte: I want to get the big one.

[48:26] Tommy Nolan: The tall one?

[48:26] Evelyn Forte: All right.

[48:27] Tommy Nolan: Uh you aim for the tall one.

[48:29] Tommy Nolan: Um and I got a two.

[48:30] Tommy Nolan: Um, so the tall under uh the tall cloaked figure does not dive out of the way as out of your mouth issues uh huge uh uh bullet of fire breath.

[48:44] Tommy Nolan: Um go ahead, roll damage for that.

[48:47] Evelyn Forte: Okay, I just got six and five, so eleven.

[48:52] Tommy Nolan: Six and five is eleven.

[48:53] Tommy Nolan: Um, but actually, uh this uh uh tall understudy only takes five of your flame breath damage.

[49:01] Tommy Nolan: Um it certainly knocks it back, but it is still standing.

[49:04] Unknown speaker: Not what I used to be.

[49:06] Tommy Nolan: Next in next in the order is uh the short cloaked figure who just having seen you attack, gonna point at you, Evelyn.

[49:14] Tommy Nolan: Um, and it is gonna run towards you to try and get closer to you as it extends its arm.

[49:19] Tommy Nolan: And uh I rolled a 15 to attack.

[49:23] Tommy Nolan: Does that beat your AC?

[49:24] Evelyn Forte: Yeah, it does on a 12.

[49:25] Tommy Nolan: Alright.

[49:26] Tommy Nolan: Um you're gonna take three points of fire damage as this firebolt strikes you in the stomach.

[49:33] Tommy Nolan: Um and you go reeling back.

[49:34] Unknown speaker: Look out!

[49:35] Unknown speaker: My diaphragm!

[49:39] Unknown speaker: Hold your breath, don't inhale.

[49:41] Unknown speaker: Ah!

[49:42] Unknown speaker: Sing out, Louise.

[49:43] Tommy Nolan: Up next is D'syraeah.

[49:45] Christi Esterle: Ah!

[49:46] Christi Esterle: Alright.

[49:47] Christi Esterle: Okay, we got two people left standing.

[49:49] Christi Esterle: I don't know.

[49:50] Christi Esterle: The short one and the tall one.

[49:52] Christi Esterle: We have not been any use since you've last gone.

[49:56] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[49:58] Christi Esterle: Alright. So I rub my palms together and uh after psyching myself up a little bit, I direct poison spray at the short one.

[50:08] Tommy Nolan: All right.

[50:09] Tommy Nolan: Um, I gotta beat a 12 uh constitution, is that right?

[50:13] Christi Esterle: Do I remember that right?

[50:14] Tommy Nolan: Yes.

[50:15] Tommy Nolan: All right.

[50:16] Tommy Nolan: Um, I got a 14.

[50:18] Tommy Nolan: Um, so your your poison spray uh emits from your hands and heads towards this cloaked figure, but seems to have no effect on it.

[50:28] Tommy Nolan: And next in the order is Lily.

[50:29] Unknown speaker: Um, and she says, you know what? I'm done with this.

[50:32] Unknown speaker: Uh and you see her uh take a step back, and she uh reels back in and says, You two understudies are some of the most deplorable people. I think this town would be better out without you, as she uses vicious mockery um against them, um, which is a uh thing she knows as a bard.

[50:54] Tommy Nolan: And Lily's known for this.

[50:57] Unknown speaker: She is.

[50:58] Tommy Nolan: Um and she uh and uh the two figures have to roll um wisdom saving throws, and one fails, the short one fails, and so you see this short one kind of like stumble back.

[51:09] Tommy Nolan: It's not like it's grabs its ears or anything, it just kinda hobbles backwards.

[51:13] Tommy Nolan: Um and then just like the medium one before it, you see uh uh Star Wars style, the whole cloak just kind of descend as if whatever was inside of it suddenly vanish.

[51:23] Tommy Nolan: Um the other one did dodge the vicious mockery, and next in the order is that tall understudy who's going to once again attack Lily, but it misses.

[51:33] Tommy Nolan: So just over Lily's shoulder, this bolt of fire streaks past her, and she goes, whoa.

[51:39] Unknown speaker: Um and we're uh back around.

[51:42] Unknown speaker: Yeah, I forgot what her voice went.

[51:44] Unknown speaker: That's what she sounds like, right?

[51:45] Unknown speaker: Um and she's startled, yes.

[51:49] Tommy Nolan: Yes.

[51:50] Tommy Nolan: And uh back again, not forgotten this time to Graygory.

[51:54] Graygory Highland: All you got left is this tall understudy.

[51:56] Graygory Highland: Physically, where am I in relation to them?

[51:58] Graygory Highland: Like, because I did just fail to stab one of them.

[52:01] Tommy Nolan: So sure. So you probably ran past their line in the alleyway.

[52:05] Tommy Nolan: Um, so you're farthest away from uh your compatriots.

[52:08] Tommy Nolan: Uh I think this tall one is between you and the three of them, uh kind of in the middle of this alleyway.

[52:13] Tommy Nolan: So it's facing uh its back is toward me right now, is more.

[52:16] Tommy Nolan: Its back is towards you right now, correct.

[52:18] Graygory Highland: So I try to race up and stab it in the back numerous times, like real fast.

[52:23] Tommy Nolan: All right.

[52:24] Tommy Nolan: Um, because you're giving a sneak attack, I'll give you uh advantage to your attack, which means you get to roll two d20 and take the higher of those numbers.

[52:32] Tommy Nolan: It's good roll an attack roll twice.

[52:33] Graygory Highland: Oh, cool.

[52:34] Graygory Highland: Alright.

[52:35] Tommy Nolan: Alright, so here's the first one.

[52:37] Unknown speaker: Um first one is natural twenty.

[52:39] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Well, we don't need to roll the second one.

[52:41] Tommy Nolan: Take that.

[52:42] Tommy Nolan: And on a on a crit attack roll.

[52:44] Tommy Nolan: Um, so what how much damage does your dagger normally do?

[52:47] Graygory Highland: Um, it usually does um plus four plus two, um, the four dice plus two.

[52:47] Tommy Nolan: Four dice plus two.

[52:54] Tommy Nolan: So I will give you whatever the dice is a time over again.

[52:57] Tommy Nolan: Okay.

[52:57] Unknown speaker: Um so I'll give you four plus whatever you roll on the dice plus two because you created that attack roll.

[53:02] Graygory Highland: Alright, and maybe I got the wrong dice. I'm just looking at it now.

[53:04] Graygory Highland: Uh whatever.

[53:06] Unknown speaker: Uh four four is the pyramid-looking one.

[53:08] Unknown speaker: Yeah, but it's got three numbers on it.

[53:10] Unknown speaker: I was like, what?

[53:11] Unknown speaker: How does that work?

[53:12] Unknown speaker: Yeah, I was about to say, how do I find out which one's on top?

[53:14] Unknown speaker: I think it's three.

[53:15] Unknown speaker: Whatever the number is on top on the pointy bit.

[53:23] Unknown speaker: Got it, got it.

[53:26] Tommy Nolan: So what'd you roll?

[53:26] Graygory Highland: Yeah, so I got a three.

[53:28] Tommy Nolan: So three plus four plus three plus four plus one, was it?

[53:31] Tommy Nolan: Um plus two.

[53:32] Tommy Nolan: Too much math for me.

[53:34] Unknown speaker: Um we're actors!

[53:36] Tommy Nolan: You you roll you uh run up behind this, the tallest of understudies, your roguelike skills coming into play.

[53:43] Tommy Nolan: It doesn't hear you coming at all, and you watch this almost as if in slow motion.

[53:47] Tommy Nolan: Your dagger penetrates the um fabric uh right beneath this uh flamed bird that is emblazoned on the back shoulders of this cloak, and it travels through the cloak, and you feel no resistance at all in this dagger as it then hops out the other side, and you see the point of it, and then in your hands, the entire cloak just slumps down onto your dagger, and whatever is inside of it is suddenly gone.

[54:12] Tommy Nolan: And you've defeated all three of these cloaked figures.

[54:16] Unknown speaker: Yeah!

[54:17] Unknown speaker: Now that the action's over, can I ask a question?

[54:19] Tommy Nolan: Yes, we are now out of combat.

[54:21] Unknown speaker: Can I take this cloak and put it on myself?

[54:24] Tommy Nolan: If you you if you would like.

[54:25] Unknown speaker: I put it on myself and say, I'm finally a T bird.

[54:31] Unknown speaker: Do Dead O Dad O Dad O.

[54:35] Unknown speaker: I also have a question.

[54:37] Unknown speaker: Who in the alley is most injured right now?

[54:40] Tommy Nolan: Um, you, so let's do this. Um D'syraeah, you run over to uh Mo and Leon, who are uh still slumped over, having not moved on the ground.

[54:49] Tommy Nolan: And um, go ahead uh roll in oh, what should we call that?

[54:55] Unknown speaker: A medicine check on them.

[54:58] Tommy Nolan: Alright.

[55:00] Unknown speaker: I roll an 18.

[55:02] Tommy Nolan: Alright, with an 18. Do you want to help out Moe or Leon first?

[55:04] Unknown speaker: They both are just kind of down.

[55:07] Tommy Nolan: As far as you can tell, none seem to have any like obvious injuries. Let's see. Um I do my best to wake up Mo.

[55:14] Tommy Nolan: Alright, so uh you touch Moe's shoulder and like he goes, ah, and starts awake um and goes, Oh, oh my god! Oh, I fell d and then uh Mo rolls over and sees you, Gregory, wearing um the cloak of the understudy in the corner of the alley.

[55:30] Tommy Nolan: And Mo gets up so quickly and backs up to the back of the alley and goes, Ah! Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, don't hurt me! And he like kind of shields his face.

[55:37] Unknown speaker: Oh, oh, oh, oh no. Uh anyone want to do anything?

[55:40] Unknown speaker: Um, I what what's wrong, friend?

[55:43] Tommy Nolan: And uh and uh Mo goes, listen, I have no more business with you. I'm on the up and up. Listen, I I thought I was done dealing with these with the understudies. I just I just and uh as he's doing this, uh uh uh Desirea, you also see um in front of you Leon, uh that's his name, right? Um opens uh one of his eyeballs and kind of looks at you.

[56:05] Tommy Nolan: Um and uh he doesn't seem to be uh actually damaged at all, and he kinda mumbles out of the side of his mouth and goes, Are they gone? Are they gone?

[56:13] Unknown speaker: Gee, you were a lot of help during all that.

[56:16] Unknown speaker: Yes, they're gone. Coward.

[56:18] Tommy Nolan: Um and uh you you see he you see him uh like hop up uh straight away um and uh uh with his like empty briefcase, which now has pages all uh flown everywhere. Um and he also sees you, Gregory, and he um like starts to startle backwards, um, but then looks a little closer and goes, Wait a minute, you're you're how's that black eye?

[56:40] Graygory Highland: It's very good. It's very, very good. Thank you very much for that. I'm so um we rushed out of here so quickly. It is it is not like me to not I a must apologize to you, sir.

[56:51] Unknown speaker: Well, you should.

[56:53] Evelyn Forte: Thanks, Evelyn.

[56:54] Graygory Highland: Of course, of course, ma'am. Um I tr I try not to make it a habit of doorknobbing people, as you can imagine.

[57:02] Tommy Nolan: And uh uh Mo um, who now sees that uh Gregory, you are no longer a threat. Yes, uh says to Leon, like, Leon, we gotta get going. Uh this man, if the and then uh he looks at the three of you and says, Listen, you all may be new to the city of Imperial, but if the understudies cross your paths, you turn and run. Do you hear me? You turn and run.

[57:27] Unknown speaker: Can I ask? You've had experience with them before. Please tell me more.

[57:31] Christi Esterle: Lily chimes in and says, Oh, oh, of course, y'all. Ah, I'm surprised. I forgot y'all were so new here. Uh the understudies, well, we haven't had to deal with them for quite some time, but they seem to be making a resurgence. They're uh, you know, uh uh uh a cult lock group of people who uh seem to cause mischief to uh musical theater top folk. Um you'd never know when they're gonna pop up, but uh apparently up they've popped.

[57:56] Tommy Nolan: Um and Mo says, Ah, see, you've got an expert in your midst. Uh Miss Leder Nander's uh uh uh family has a long running history with the understudies, as I'm sure you can imagine. Um me and my partner here must be going. Leon, pick up pick up the papers. Leon, Leon!

[58:09] Unknown speaker: And uh Leon's like, oh, oh, oh yes, yes, sir, sorry. I try um I try to block their path.

[58:14] Tommy Nolan: Oh, okay. Um okay, so uh you let's will you do uh an intimidation check.

[58:21] Unknown speaker: All right. Oh, this is something here. You don't want to be intimidated by Desirea. Get him D.

[58:28] Christi Esterle: Eleven.

[58:29] Tommy Nolan: That's right. An eleven. Um with an eleven, you kind of step on one of the papers that uh Leon is trying to uh frantically pick up and stuff back in his um his briefcase. Um do you say anything to him or you know something, and you just said that you had business with them before.

[58:48] Unknown speaker: I want to know everything.

[58:50] Tommy Nolan: And uh uh Mo uh gently walks over to you and uh leans down and uh also puts his hand on Leon's hand who's trying to like pull this things off and says, Listen, everyone knows who the understudies are. If you've been in theater and you haven't run into the understudies yet, it's only a matter of time. They run this town.

[59:10] Unknown speaker: Well, they used to run this town. We've been working hard to knock them out, get them out, keep everything on the up and up, but for whatever reason, they seem to have a vengeance dead set against doing magical theater. Why anyone wouldn't like magical theater? I don't know. Do you know Leon?

[59:29] Leon: No, I don't know, sir.

[59:30] Tommy Nolan: See, he doesn't know anything. If they show up, they can cause you great mischief. So again, I reiterate my advice, which you clearly need to know because you decided to fight these very dangerous individuals. If you encounter these understudies in the future, you turn tail and run.

[59:47] Unknown speaker: Can we have our paperback now, please?

[59:49] Graygory Highland: I look away as if I know more than I'm letting on.

[59:53] Unknown speaker: And uh, you know, I don't know. It seems to me it would be more difficult to achieve understudy status than it would be to be the star. And even then they get none of the acclaim.

[1:00:05] Mo: Listen, no one knows how they got their names or what's going on here. We have a very important meeting to get to. I'm searching for a theater. It's a big deal. We've got stars lined up for my show. I'm sure you heard of it, dear Elvin Hanson. It's gonna be big, big, I say big. But we've got to get going. May we have a paperback, please, and be on our way, as we've already had a great to do today.

[1:00:26] Unknown speaker: I don't trust him, Desirea.

[1:00:28] Graygory Highland: And I stop I put put my hand on Leon's shoulder and I say, wait one minute, sir.

[1:00:32] Tommy Nolan: Oh, Gregory. I'd like to get on the ground floor of this dear Elvish Hansen. Uh I am a man who has done business in many types of sales, and I and I think this could be big. So what can I do to get on the ground floor of it?

[1:00:48] Tommy Nolan: Uh you see Leon uh finally yank this piece of paper uh out from under Desirea's foot. Um and he stands up uh and reaches into his pocket and on the torn piece of paper says, uh uh uh yes, sir. Uh uh Grey Gregory, it was right. I think I overheard that before. I'll write that down here. Gregory. Um yes, we'll we'll uh we'll be in touch. I will I will keep you uh on our list.

[1:01:12] Tommy Nolan: Um and with that he kind of I grip his shoulder even harder and he goes, Oh, we are three magical theater folks, and we might not be in our prime, but we are always looking for places to be of use.

[1:01:26] Unknown speaker: Oh, that's good. Can I write that down?

[1:01:28] Christi Esterle: Hmm. Um, and uh will you I like him. He reminds me of my ninth husband or possibly my sixth wife.

[1:01:36] Unknown speaker: Oh I love Karen.

[1:01:38] Tommy Nolan: Gregory, Greg Gregory, will you roll a persuasion check for me um against uh Leon?

[1:01:44] Graygory Highland: What dice do I need?

[1:01:45] Tommy Nolan: I'm sorry, is that a 20?

[1:01:46] Unknown speaker: Uh D20 plus your persuasion modifier.

[1:01:48] Graygory Highland: Fire plus one, so I got sixteen.

[1:01:50] Tommy Nolan: Sixteen with a sixteen. Um you see both Mo and Leon kind of look at each other, and then they look back at you and nod and says, We'll we'll be in touch. We're we're pursuing an audition location in the Latonophone theater. Um uh did the three of you want to make the list?

[1:02:03] Unknown speaker: Very much so.

[1:02:04] Unknown speaker: Certainly.

[1:02:05] Unknown speaker: I'm not already on the list.

[1:02:09] Tommy Nolan: All right, so that's uh uh three down on the list. Miss Leader Nander, these we can find these three at the Petink Inn I can imagine, right?

[1:02:16] Christi Esterle: Oh, yeah.

[1:02:16] Unknown speaker: Oh yes, uh, we put up all our uh uh perspectives there.

[1:02:20] Mo: Um and Mo says, Well, then uh we'll um come find you there and uh let you know more about our auditions. Uh Leon, we must be gone.

[1:02:30] Tommy Nolan: Um and with that, the two I smile at them and release his shoulder. Um and with that the two of them uh turn heels and uh uh walk away.

[1:02:38] Tommy Nolan: And uh you're left. Um and Lily says, Oh, oh man, y'all, that was more more than I expected uh us to have to do here. Um uh do y'all feel uh up to heading off to uh Tim Taylor's Taylors and Trinkets still today?

[1:02:53] Unknown speaker: Uh uh your first days tomorrow, and it would be nice if you could uh get fitted for your uniforms.

[1:02:58] Evelyn Forte: Yes, yes. I am I would very much like that.

[1:03:00] Unknown speaker: Yes I remember the days when I was here and Tim Taylor was just the local tool man, and things have changed quite a bit.

[1:03:08] Unknown speaker: Get out of here. I was born ready.

[1:03:13] Tommy Nolan: Uh well uh uh alright, y'all. Um uh uh you just had uh back out the alleyway and you turn left and you'll find uh Tim Taylor shop uh just uh down the block. Um uh I'm gonna uh go get out of here. We got a big big day, big day tomorrow, opening that. It's gonna be great. Hello, Dragotha. We're gonna take take uh Imperia by storm.

[1:03:32] Christi Esterle: And uh with that, she uh also skips off um in the same direction as Mo and Leon, which is not the direction she pointed you in.

[1:03:39] Graygory Highland: Well, let us go in the direction she pointed us in.

[1:03:42] Unknown speaker: Or uh would you guys mind me walking with you? Um I it's been a while.

[1:03:47] Evelyn Forte: Of course. Let's all go together.

[1:03:48] Unknown speaker: Sure. Let's link arms and skip down the alley.

[1:03:51] Graygory Highland: All right. Young. I do not skip.

[1:03:52] Unknown speaker: Sonta?

[1:03:55] Unknown speaker: Um, I don't think I could skip at this moment in time. Let's saunter.

[1:03:59] Unknown speaker: Let's saunter down the alley.

[1:04:01] Unknown speaker: I will hobble.

[1:04:02] Unknown speaker: Sauntering is acceptable. I do take Evelyn's arm, but I do limp, and she is very obviously holding me up at this point.

[1:04:10] Christi Esterle: Uhly does that thing where she links arms with the two of you on either side and she starts to skip, but uh both of you kind of reluctantly uh pull back on her arm with every skip she does.

[1:04:20] Tommy Nolan: And uh I'm gonna uh could everyone roll a perception check for me.

[1:04:26] Unknown speaker: Let's see.

[1:04:27] Unknown speaker: Oh, natural 20.

[1:04:28] Unknown speaker: Natural 20.

[1:04:29] Unknown speaker: 20, so you pass.

[1:04:31] Unknown speaker: I just got 19.

[1:04:32] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Uh I think you all see this. Um, but D'Syraeah, you more than most. Um Leon lost uh uh a couple pieces of paper in the scuffle that have been fluttering around, and there's these two cloaks, um, not including the one that Gregary's wearing right now as he walks through the city. It looks sharp.

[1:04:48] Unknown speaker: You look sharp.

[1:04:49] Tommy Nolan: Wearing the cloak of a cult. Um and there, you know, there's some trash in the alley. Um, but you see uh something glinting, uh, Desirea, just in the in the gutter of this alleyway.

[1:05:01] Unknown speaker: All right.

[1:05:02] Christi Esterle: I go over and examine it.

[1:05:04] Tommy Nolan: Alright. Um, you see this thing. Uh it looks like a a very, very small lighter, like a zippo lighter. And you pick it up.

[1:05:10] Unknown speaker: Where are the T-birds?

[1:05:12] Tommy Nolan: And it's it's kind of uh covered in mud and um, you know, water. It's a dirty alleyway. But you you wipe off the mud a little bit. And the uh you the other two, Evelyn and Gregory, you're leaning in and you're looking at this thing too, because it seems there's certainly something weird about it or magical about it.

[1:05:27] Tommy Nolan: But you flip it around and it has this ornate engraving on the back of it. And in the middle of this ornate engraving are three letters. And those letters are R PW.

[1:05:38] Unknown speaker: RP.

[1:05:40] Unknown speaker: Ah, PW.

[1:05:42] Unknown speaker: Is that ringing any bells?

[1:05:44] Unknown speaker: Uh I don't know what that means.

[1:05:46] Unknown speaker: No. Can I can I can I roll Yeah, can we roll to see if that uh sounds familiar to any of us?

[1:05:52] Tommy Nolan: Sure. Uh just US first. Gregory, why don't you roll uh uh a history check?

[1:05:57] Graygory Highland: Okay.

[1:05:57] Unknown speaker: Um 12 plus two, so 14.

[1:06:00] Tommy Nolan: 14. Um you you scan back through your mind and you're there's RPW, you know some RPs and you know some PWs, but you don't know any RPWs.

[1:06:09] Graygory Highland: All right then. Let's see if I can come up with anything else.

[1:06:12] Tommy Nolan: All right, uh Desirea.

[1:06:14] Unknown speaker: Okay, 71, so probably not much else.

[1:06:17] Unknown speaker: 711.

[1:06:18] Tommy Nolan: Uh yep, the letter R is a letter, and so is P and W, you're pretty sure.

[1:06:24] Unknown speaker: What about Evelyn?

[1:06:25] Evelyn Forte: Well, I'm glad to know that. Let me see what I got. I'm gonna fail.

[1:06:29] Unknown speaker: Uh five.

[1:06:30] Tommy Nolan: A five. Uh this is, you know, Evelyn, this sure is a lighter.

[1:06:37] Unknown speaker: I only remember the important things.

[1:06:39] Tommy Nolan: My favorite part about this is I'm imagining her eating like out of her purse or something. Like she's looking and thinking that is a lighter.

[1:06:50] Tommy Nolan: Um, so uh does someone anyone want to pocket the lighter or anything?

[1:06:54] Graygory Highland: I'll pocket it in my cloak.

[1:06:55] Tommy Nolan: Alright, uh, you pocket your lighter, uh, that lighter in uh uh the cloak that you're wearing. Um, and the three of you uh jollily uh skip down the alleyway.

[1:07:04] Tommy Nolan: Um, and uh just as you turn the corner to head down towards um Tim Taylor's Taylor and Trinket Shop, from behind you, out of the shadows in a place in a corner that you didn't even notice, uh steps another figure um who just is wearing the same cloak that you happen to be wearing right now.

[1:07:20] Unknown speaker: One of those uh-oh!

[1:07:23] Unknown speaker: Turn around and run, everybody!

[1:07:25] Tommy Nolan: Uh red and orange bird emblazoned along the back. You don't notice this figure um as they walk over to the now too downed and somewhat ripped cloak standing or uh uh slumped in the middle of the alleyway, and they reach down, pick them up, uh shove them inside of their cloak, and then this figure vanishes into the air.

[1:07:44] Unknown speaker: Oh, oh dun dun dun.

[1:07:46] Unknown speaker: That's a lot to absorb.

[1:07:51] Unknown speaker: Remember how you made it, Hila.

[1:07:54] Unknown speaker: A game of truth for day.

[1:07:55] Unknown speaker: You rolled the dice with confidence.

[1:07:57] Unknown speaker: Now the fortune's weak and shake.

[1:07:59] Unknown speaker: The finish line is drawing.

[1:08:01] Unknown speaker: Just keep your eye on the prize is a new sky has called you.

[1:08:05] Unknown speaker: Why don't you try it on the side?

[1:08:13] Unknown speaker: Don't stop, don't stop.