The. The Rivian pulls up to the World
War 2 memorial. You see 3 patches of grass
ascending steps in between opening to what looks like a
large arena. In the middle is grass, on the
sides are plaques. It is memorial to one of the
great wars, one of the times that America proved itself to be
the greatest in the world. Or at least that's what they
say. Does it make sense that this is
where fascism might be hiding? I don't know.
Let's find out. Opportunity isn't really
thinking too much about the current situation, about the
place that we are going. I've been ruining Ronald's life.
Every social media page that I have access to on his phone is
now covered in memes and just absolute like, just saying the
most heinous things that nobody on any side of any aisle could
potentially take hold of. And, and, and say, hey, this is
good and I like this and we're going to keep this person in a
position of power. I'm ruining this man's life.
And so as we are pulling up here, I think it's almost
jarring as the car stops and kind of knocks me back into
focus of oh wait, we're doing a thing.
And and I'm and I think quickly has to look between the others
here to get a sense of what tone I should be taking in this
moment. I think Bluffy is kind of coming
down from the interaction of breaking their ties with one of
their weapons to give it to someone else.
And it's but it's also the fact that we don't know what we're
walking into. We already had kind of a
conversation of like how people are able to do things in
different situations on Cartwright over trying to figure
out like what the best plan of action.
There's still no true insight on what we are going to encounter.
It could be a fight of fists and swords and Shields.
It could be a fight of words. It could be a discussion, it
could be a conversation. It there's no really no way of.
Nowhere. So I think Levy is just once
again going through their head of what everyone said is their
strong suit. Levy has now only seen two
people really shoulder the power of their domains that they are
the demigods of. So knowing that Thane has a
weird book and the weird book does things and Thane sometimes
has a backbone in deciding that you know what is right and what
is wrong in interpretations of that.
And then also seeing the fact that Yarrow has control over
whitblind creatures to be able to tie some up and stick them in
the bathroom or in a supply closet.
Don't remember which one he got stuffed in but it was one of the
two, one of the two and then has fought alongside Rouhan and one
like against the previous creatures.
The person who is a confirmed combatant is now armed with a
weapon that they are able to use.
And it's opportunity seems to be very good at whatever
opportunity is doing currently and posting memes and other
things on social media ruining this man's life.
So I think it's just kind of assess, like as we go, it's just
assessing what we could be up at because there's still too many
variables. And especially with Cassie, like
Cassie is losing connection to her godly parent.
Like it's the, I think Levine just kind of is watching Cassie
to see how Cassie's reacting and getting out of the car and like
realizing where we are and that kind of thing.
Because Cassie's also an an unknown variable in this.
Cassie is an unknown variable. She looks solemn.
She looks nervous. She, it is displaying what you
can only imagine is the feelings of someone who has become
accustomed to a certain amount of power and having lost that
and struggling to remember what they can do even as immortal.
I mean, she's, she's still not mortal.
She's still a demigod, but they still have a little bit of that
struggle. How about Yarrow?
There's something eerie about this whole scene for her, the
way that Ronald was treating it, how it was a game, a Riddle that
we had to trick, and now we're at this Super Bowl stadium
looking memorial, and it just doesn't feel right.
Games are supposed to be for joy, for fun, to not think about
all the terrible things. And yet this place is supposedly
a prison for democracy, and that is disconcerting in a lot of
ways. Sonny Ajay might not see it that
way, but she doesn't even know what football is.
But one of us has to come in looking a little brave and I'll
take her lead on that. Fame has been combing through
his book since the minute they got in the Uber, knowing a few
things about what's coming. One that throughout all of
history, while there is no perfect moral way to govern, 1
unilateral common denominator of evil certainly lies in the forms
of fascism that have come through history.
The one thing the majority of people can agree upon is that
that's the bad one. And yet it going through and
studying the ways it's defeated is mixed.
It's been stayed by violent wars.
It's been held off by practices of democracy or republicanism.
It's been held off through revolutions, both violent and
political. And the thing that both relieves
and gives them pause is that the cost of enduring and defeating
fascism seems to always lie in the loss of life, The one thing
he's petrified of. So there is a moral obligation
inside of him, knowing that the objective of his life is to
stand up to and avoid the intake of evil in all its forms, with
the end goal, of course, to be not afraid when death comes.
And yet, in spite of this, he is afraid that Death is coming.
And he's also hyper aware that one of Death's employees is in
the car. Closing its eyes, Rohan doesn't
really feel anything. It's almost dead to the world
unless being directed to talk to.
Almost as if a form of meditation.
What's in the car is not really Ruhan right now, but just a
corpse waiting, bidding it's time until the door opens and
the next thing must be done. And you said Pierce The Veil,
right? Judgement.
Yes, all right. Judgement is +25 and a three.
That's a 10. That's a 10.
That's ten. OK, so I'm going to take one of
your questions to give you something, but what are two
questions? All right, What happened to
Thane? What happened to Thane?
Interesting. Now are you, are you finding
this out by asking Thane face to face, or are you finding this
out by reading an aura? I think it's almost like an
impulse. An electrical impulse suddenly
animates Rohan and he turns to Thane, suddenly staring with
wide open eyes and just perceiving how Thane reacts to
determine what happened to Thane.
Because I he remembers grasping hands.
They remember what Thane reacted, were coiled, really,
when spotting his death. What happened to fame?
I would imagine Ruhan is very good at understanding the rivers
and courses and trails in one's life.
So you'd probably get a sense that fame has a mortal mother
and a parent that is tied to one of the many pantheons of death.
And you can see a mother abandoned by death, raising a
child, teaching them to live the good life, to do things
correctly, so that when the time came to meet their father, they
would be prepared and found worthy for whatever comes next.
And you see a young boy riddled with anxieties, constantly
writing things down in a giant tome that used to be blank,
writing new rules, expectations, gospels, and copying books all
the way up until fairly recently.
The damn book. What are some of the signs of
death that you might look for? So we know in some cultures,
owls, if you see an owl, that can be a sign of death.
You know, mushrooms are a, a kind of sign of death as they
breakdown what is dead and decaying.
What are some other things that you usually see as like a little
bit of a, a sign, a reminder that that death is around the
corner? Oh, there's a couple of birds of
various kinds. Vultures in certain places in
the South, sparrows in places in Europe, ibises.
There's a lot. Birds in general tend to freak
humans out and so they get associated with death and
eventually they pick up the mantle themselves, right.
There are others though. There's an aura around people
who are about to die, and that aura is one of the ways they
commune with what's to happen next.
You know, it's that moment where people suddenly become the
happiest they've ever been, almost at peace before they're
at peace. There's also other images.
Blue skin is very common, skulls, other very visual
implications of death. The most common though, a sudden
chill in the air. So when you look at Thane and
you really look at Thane, Thane himself does not have an aura.
It is not that he is about to die, but if you kind of look
past him at what is sort of in the background of his existence,
you see the birds, you see the chill, you see the sprouting
mushrooms as if they're all watching over him.
And what is your other question saying when death finally comes
for you, what do you want them to look like be?
Questioned as challenging because fame doesn't want to
meet this person. However, if it were to come to
that, fame has not daydreamed a person, a form and entity, not
even a specific kind of God. Fain only hopes they meet
someone fair and kind. Ron's typical look shifts none,
Not even a little bit, because you didn't know this, but in a
way you've been waiting for this moment your entire life.
He looks at you and he reaches across.
Because we're in a limo. Limo, right?
So we're opposite seats. He reaches across.
He looks like he's breathing. And this is the first time
you've really seen him breathe without needing to speak.
And he grips your hand. It's warm.
You'll know that Thane's hand is always cold.
I think in doing that, what the kind of mechanical resolution of
that is that I want Thane to roll the next roll with
Fortune's favor. Cool.
Ruhan, as you are appearing beyond the veil and taking in
this monument or this memorial in front of you, you see in the
centre almost like a circle of difference of like, it's kind of
like a ripple. And you understand that to be
the entrance. By being able to peer through,
by being able to see these different veils of life and
death, you are able to see the entrance that is not visible to
anybody else. You ready?
I'm as ready as I possibly could be.
You don't need to be afraid of me.
I am though. I really AM.
It won't hurt. I don't think I'm worried about
it hurting. I've been hurt before.
I guess I just I want to make sure it doesn't hurt after.
Life is awful. I mean, I don't mean it like I
do. Actually, I did.
Life is awful. And sometimes you see no way
out. So you make a mistake.
You walk into a place you know you're not supposed to walk into
because you're hoping and praying that you won't come out
of it. But it isn't awful life.
Neither is death. None of it's really awful.
It's just, it's all a mixed bag, you know?
Yeah, yeah, I do know. Hold up the book.
I've got a whole. Yeah, I know.
I keep looking for the opportunities of joy and
happiness, but so much of it is rooted in someone else's sorrow
and it's so hard to juggle it and I just don't want to be held
accountable for that. Stop looking for the big thing
and start looking for the little things.
You know what I miss? Ice cream.
What about it? I miss it, I can't taste it
anymore. I.
Mean it. Yeah, it's it's it's sweet and
it's meant to cool you off and be something delicious, but so
much of it is born from other people's labor, much of it
unfairly compensated. And then there's the things you
have to do to a cow to even get the dairy that creates the ice
cream. And then, and then, and then
what? Because I had a moment of
wanting selfish pleasure, I have to force 10 to 15 people and
animals who don't deserve the treatment they receive to to and
I just start spiraling again. Have you ever considered that
sometimes you can take a tray and you can fill it with the
fruit juice and you can freeze it, use a fork to scrape it up
and then you have a Grenada? That does sound nice.
You have to stop carrying the weight of the world on your
shoulders because it's not depending upon you.
Doing that means that you ignore the responsibility of other
people. You let them off the hook and
just carry their weight instead. It's overwhelming, Yeah.
Everything you do hurts someone else because that's the way the
world is. But that's the way the world is.
The people who built the world are responsible for that.
What you're responsible for is trying to fix it.
Now get caught up in all of its weird idiosyncrasies.
Stop counting points. You know, this book's really
heavy. So drop it.
Fame cautiously pushes the window down button in the
limousine, takes one look at the book and throws it out into the
street. Probably shouldn't have done
that at the huge book on a busy Washington DC Rd.
But there's there's a moment, there's a lightness, and then
there's a look into Ruhan's eyes and Fain just says.
I swear though, if I get tormented for eternity because
of this, somebody's so mad. Well if you want I can keep you
company. I read somewhere that Misery
likes that. Being caught in between really
sucks sometimes. No kidding.
Cassie is going to look to Yarrow.
How are you handling all this? I I feel in a lot of ways rather
powerless right now, but when I look at you I feel warmer and
safer. Do you mind if I stick by you?
Yarrow has to actually hear this.
Blinks. Here's those words.
You are safe around her. Not gonna lie, Cassie, I I feel
the same way about you. And sure big we can.
Do you want to hold pants or like, just stick my back?
Do you need a jacket? I could get you a jacket.
She smiles and she says, I'm glad that you, you were one of
the people who responded. I mean, why wouldn't I?
You needed help. I can help.
I really should be thanking you for letting me, you know, come
along. Democracy.
There's a God of democracy. But I mean they can only do so
much to to sway people way or another.
You. You.
Do the work that's necessary, and I hope that maybe after this
we could join forces to. Help undo.
Whatever damage has been done, Yarrow is.
Cradling Sonny Oji, she's just got one arm on her.
One arm with a raccoon. It's going to take a lot more
than a couple of pastries, but I think it's a better place to
start. Communities have to sprout
somewhere. I'd be honored.
Cassie, you're around the. Spot that Ruhan showed you is
the entrance Cassie looks. At.
Opportunity Do you want to be in front I?
Feel like that's. Probably the best idea.
I'm the one that they know to look for.
I think if you all show up walking first that might raise
some alarm. I know.
That I mentioned this before. I'm Canadian.
So this is not really my party, and I respect that.
Just tell me what I need to do and I'll, I'll, I'll do it, you
know? Oh, don't worry.
Americans can't tell the difference between a Canadian
and American even if you told them exactly.
And I'm espouse. American as you can get.
I don't even know what I'm supposed to do here.
It's honestly a threat to. All of us.
Anything that poisons the well here can poison the well
anywhere. Cassie says.
I don't, I don't think this entrance is because the God of
democracy is special to the United States.
Canada has. Just as much of A claim.
On democracy. I think this is where.
We are right. Now.
It's more. About fascism, I was more
referring to, you know, destroying your national
monuments and the light. Oh, don't.
Worry it's not that big of a deal.
We can rebuild them. They're just buildings or.
Exactly one question. You know, while we're all here
staring at each other, looking at an entrance.
Why here? Looks kind of cool I guess.
You know, they like people like making a big show of things.
You know, there's all the fountains and stuff.
Why not here? Is there a way now that I'm
still kind of tapped into a a good friend, Ronald?
Is there a way that I can Pierce The Veil to to try to?
Get a sense. Of his memories to see maybe why
here? Yes, please.
Pierce The Veil. Good thing I have minus.
One to this roll. That's a 7.
OK. Awesome.
Ask 2 questions. What is the?
Greatest danger with this place as we're pulled up here and I'm
kind of getting a sense of it, and I'm thinking now that I'm
taking a moment to like, really sit in Ronald's shoes.
I'm putting myself in the. Place of a fascist if I had to
set up a trap, if I had to set up a big bad place to make it
the most effective and I had to do it quick in a in a way that
no one noticed where. Would I put?
Traps where would I put guards where would I, you know, how
would I keep this place defended because the World War 2 memorial
is kind of an open place it is so I'm.
Going to answer 2 questions through that.
I'm gonna answer your first question of kind of like why
here and like what makes this place dangerous in general?
And then your more very tactical question.
So you look around at the World War 2 memorial and.
It is. Remembering it is a memorial for
those who died during World War 2, but at the same time you you
remember through all your experiences in like history
classes and the like. World War 2 was a time of Great
American nationalism. A great a feeling of America is
better is the best, is the top, is the protector.
And that kind of thinking, that kind of exceptionalist thinking,
is dangerous when you think about someone's ability to
understand other people. If we spend too much time
thinking too highly of ourselves, we lose the ability
to empathize with other people. If we consider ourselves loftier
than, higher than. And.
There is a way. To.
You can see how fascism the ability for fascism to creep
into the. North American.
Consciousness. May have happened.
In that exceptionalism mindset. That occurred after.
World War 2 so that is why this place is dangerous to the.
Idea. Of.
The US as a. Whole being able to work well
with the world. And to even care.
For its own people, what is dangerous, as in what is going
to hit you? It is not a very defensible
place. So whatever.
Is going to happen is going to happen once you enter into that
next realm. It is not.
On the mortal realm that fascism is right now able to put all of
its traps, although it's working on that, you're going to have to
go inside so. Then I think taking that
information opportunity kind of turns to everyone and says,
yeah, OK, so this place itself not.
Too bad. I don't see anybody.
They're probably all waiting on the other side, whatever the
other side is. Oh yes, why this place?
I think they're just like war. I.
Think like they're. Just like, you know, big rah rah
America buffs and like, I mean, look at our history, right?
No, yeah, that's. Fair.
And it kind of, this is going to sound fucked up, but it kind of
looks like a football stadium. You know, it isn't like
football, like the American war sport.
You know, there's charges and CTE and shit.
Yeah. I think they're just like nerds
in, like, the worst way. Yeah.
You know, I agree with that. OK.
You know, like you ever been to. Like, you know, you ever go to,
like, dinner with someone and they're just, like, know a
little too much about, like, you know, certain kind of weapons
used in like, a particular war. And they just go on and on about
all the technical aspects of it. And they're just like, really,
really into that part and kind of forget about what the rest of
the war was like that. Yeah.
I think Ronnie is. Probably into that you should
really get out of his skin. You are.
Oh. Fuck, I forgot I still look like
this guy. I probably should still look
like this guy 'cause remember, they are expecting.
I, I, it's, you know, it's not the worst skin I've been in, but
it's not the best. It's a little oily.
He really needs to learn to moisturize.
I guess I can just make my. And I just make my pores a
little smaller. Are we all ready?
I mean, that seems weird to say considering I don't know if we
could ever be ready. But like, are we?
We don't know what we're walking into.
I guess I. Also don't know what we're
doing. That's a good question.
Are we? Planning on fighting them are we
Planning on just finding democracy and bouncing, are we?
Some other third thing. I personally.
Am not the best fighter so if there's a way to get around that
I am in but I I agree with that are.
You good at finding? Things, yeah.
Some have said too good and Levi's just going.
To get very close to fame, it's it's kind of that like there's
an unspoken personal bubble between most people.
La Vie is very aware of that bubble and is like right on the
edge of it to where like the toe box of their boot is bumping
into that invisible like barrier and their face is literally nose
to nose with it. If you're good at finding.
Things and focus on finding democracy, trying to release it.
You don't have to fight. You don't have to get.
Physical and something to take a risk you.
Can just follow. What seems like.
The excitement. That also makes sense to you.
Not. A book just you and then Livi.
Livi is going to Pierce that bubble and poke saying and like
right where the heart is. And whenever you're touched.
By Levi You, you can kind of hear in your ears that feeling
of like your heartbeat whenever it like you're just really
excited for something like in your ears, but it's so far away.
It's almost like a car passing by that has its base boosted too
much. But it's of a heartbeat and it's
just gets a little bit quicker and then it slows down again and
fades away as Levi pulls that. And I'm going to tighten my
thread with. Thine I think we need to come
up. With a game plan, because if we
need to fight easy, then Levy and I can handle that for the
most. Actually, I have an idea, right?
Price of freedom, right? And he pulls out the spear that
he's been keeping on his back, shakes it, and it turns into a
small, almost like prying knife. And he walks over to a plaque
called The Price of Freedom and Prize off a silver gold plated
star and tucks into his pocket. OK, we got that finding you need
to find democracy and distraction.
Arrow. Yeah.
Opportunity. Yes, you 2.
Can keep whatever. 'S in there distracted until we
find democracy and if it breaks into a fight then Levy and I
will go for. It saying that means that you
and. Cassie need to find them, right?
OK, that I know how to do. I have been looking for that or
something akin to it four years. So Cassie will come with me and
I'll. I'll.
Read the stars. Let's see what I can find.
I hope this goes to that same. But like, let's not die again,
that is. Yeah, I would hate to have to
pick you up today. That's.
Fine. It was a near miss last night,
maybe it'll actually give me this time.
Hey, Manifestation. Positive thoughts we're going to
get out of this and. I'll get us all dinner.
Sure. My wraps maybe.
Oh. Yes, please.
Can I just say you were like really cool, Thank you in a way
that like, I wasn't super expecting from it from you, you
know? I mean, you're the one who.
Decided to ruin Ronald Rutherford's entire.
Book, OH. That's.
All in the seat of a car. That was just impressive.
That's every. Day for me, gang.
That's not new, but I'm glad that you all think that's cool.
Yeah. No, this is.
Like maybe the most fun I've had in like a bit I think.
As a young flag huggers. It's me, your producer Grant,
and I am here to talk to you about the stuff that I talked to
you about. You know, cool shit, shit worth
checking out, things that I listen to and thus you should
listen to because that's how this works.
The transactional relationship you and I, starting with our
friends over once again at Unbalanced Encounters Fantasy
Western. That's what we're doing for the
new arc of Unbalanced Encounters.
The only show that dares to ask What if Dimension 20 was yeehaw
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Or when I come to your house and break your knee.
Go check out the Misfortune forum.
We got disaster, cowgirl heiresses, trickle down
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Episodes run about 90 minutes and are highly polished by a
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You should go check out their new show.
It hasn't been going on for very long.
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Next, our friends. Over at the heart is a dungeon.
The heart is a dungeon. Is a multi award-winning TTRPG
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Books in your back pocket. Or write love.
Letters to the Moon. If so, you.
May find something special in these emotional stories.
Every show is at least half by POC, at least half them
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The heart is a dungeon for when your soul craves a little
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You get your podcasts. If you've been following.
Me on socials for a while. It's no secret that The Heart Is
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A truly wonderful program. Emotional storytelling, wickedly
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good and has been one of my favorite things to listen to
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The Heart is a dungeon enough. And hey, I know this miniseries
is ending, but if you have the spoons for it and you're up for
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Give us a follow so you can get ready for In the Bleak Midwinter
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Partnered with Hatched Games to present to you 4 spooky wintery
chilling tails for your ramp up to the long bleak midwinter.
We're going to be running 4 Tales from Gas and upcoming solo
RPG horror scene from the fine people that has games.
You're going to be hearing Tales from Supriya, who's been GM ING
American demigods should geek the GM over at Rolling by
myself, me and forever GM Justin from Roll D5.
Each of us has recorded a solo game running through each of
these fantastic entries from the upcoming Book of Gast.
We cannot wait to see you there. These will be starting on
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those next day on YouTube as per usual.
Come join us. Why don't you warm your feet by
the fire, prepare your teeth for a meal, stare into the sky,
enjoy these berries we found, and we will see you Wednesdays
for Tales from Gassed. Yeah, I did have a jazz.
Version of the bleak midwinter lying around.
What of it? On a personal.
Note Thank you for staying with us for all four episodes of
American Demigods. I know our upload schedule was a
little sporadic this month, but we'll be back to our regular
release schedule and programming once December hits.
We'll see you next week for the one shots, but for now, please
enjoy the rest of the finale of American Demigods.
You. Step into the middle and your
vision starts flickering. You see?
Two different things you still see in one flicker.
The. World War 2 Memorial In another
flicker you see a white picket fence and a yard and three men
standing in the yard. And they?
Managed to look. Like.
Cookie cutter versions of each other with slightly different
skin and hair tones. You got the.
Really pale, freckly red haired. You have the slightly Tanner
with a nice blonde looks like he's been on the beach.
And then you have a slightly darker mixed something, whether
it's, you know, Middle Eastern, whether it's Italian, whether
it's, you know, you know, he has black ancestry, you're not
completely sure. But like that Tanner color and
that blacker hair. There's three of them standing
there, arms crossed, and they look at you.
Ronald, Hey. Hey, hey, how's it going?
I I think in this way of like opportunity catching themselves
of like, that's not how Ronald interacts with people and like
and like kind of does this like. Have take back.
Of it of like, sorry I got a little excited all.
Three of them. Tilt their heads.
What you can tell is they can't see any of the others yet
because they haven't stepped into the circle.
They can only see you in this this luminal luminal space.
Sorry, my apologies, I did get a little overly excited.
I'm. Sure you were told.
About the converts you've. Managed to convert.
Them all. Of course.
And then I kind of turn to back to everyone and I kind of motion
them to enter the circle with me.
Does everyone? Enter Yarrow Absolutely.
Is she's got an idea. OK, so the four of you enter,
Cassie is a little bit back, and you all enter into the space and
again you see the kind of flickering.
Between. These two worlds.
And as you step forward outside of that circle, this picket
fence, this white picket fence, this short lawn, this white
A-frame house materializes in front of you.
It is there's there's fog on various sides.
You can't see too far out and you see these three gentlemen.
You are the. Converts, yeah.
Volunteers. That was the phrase.
Right I'm. Surprised, Ronald.
Of all people was. Able to convince you all to join
the side of fascism? Look.
Once they understood the weights of the history of art and what
was taken from us in this liberalisation of our nation.
His hinge. Profile said that I couldn't
help myself, even his own. Goons don't like him.
What the hell? Allow me to introduce you.
To the Trump administration. I.
Once they understood the power, once they understood the weight,
once they understood what was taken from us, they knew that
there was no other choice if we wanted to reclaim what we once
were. Our greatness, our power, our
control. You may not believe in.
Art. But art believes in you.
I'm going to. Quickly roll short.
Skirt. Long jacket.
OK. Oh.
Well, that's double S, so. I'm going to mark thread.
Yes, mark a thread. I'm just like a very generic
looking white man. Just the bland it's.
Even more bland, if that's physically possible.
It's it's sad brunette. A tone that can best be
described as maybe, maybe tanned.
Who knows, possibly Sicilian, you know, like just really,
really bland, like a very Anglo-Saxon kind of face.
And the outfit he's wearing is just an America T-shirt and
jeans and I'm going to add a ball cap and I'm going to kind
of sneak into the background of this.
They they say very good, very good.
I don't know if. He wants to meet.
You all at once. He is.
Busy. One of them.
Points towards the house. I believe.
Our friend Yarrow here would make a great first impression to
really get a good sense of exactly what these individuals
have to offer. Oh yeah, of.
Of course, of course, I love beige kitchens and sour bread.
That's really, you know, we started talking about
homesteading. You know, that's how, you know,
I realized that, you know, my place within a traditional home
could be. I feel like these guys are at
least familiar with some aspects of the Bible.
Allegedly supposedly. What if I released a swarm?
Of frogs on them. You're not doing this anymore.
You're just doing a swarm of frogs on them.
Oh yeah, I I specifically. Want to use my ascendance move.
I need you to know that. Their names are Chris
Chelmsworth, Martin Buchanan and Craig Manwhite.
I just need you to know. Martin.
Buchanan is here. My pet ascendance.
Move is Stampede. The living world needs you now
more than ever and you can see exactly what needs to be done
Call forth the vines and brambles, some of the hordes of
animals and reap sweet justice on those who wreak havoc on the
earth and how this manifests. I think as yours doing this
distraction. I think she'll see that the look
of why are we doing this on Cassie's face, that just
comfort, that crawling greasy thing that when you have to make
company with fascists and something in your artist says
fuck it, we don't have to play nice.
This is not their table to wreck.
I'm. Smashing the.
Table and she is going to I think mid handshake with
Buchanan she's going to take that hand backhand him and that
smack is going to be punctuated with the sound of 1000 spadefoot
toads as they crawl out of the earth and just like the biblical
plagues they. Begin to swarm.
Them. Fame knows that.
This is all in the name of distraction.
So while these gods are ramping up to either mess with or
directly battle this particular entity, he is sneaking away.
And I'm actually going to use a move for this.
Fame is going to use Eclipse. Fade from view until your next
move. Fame has taught himself not to
get in people's way, not to interject or be a burden in
people's lives. So there are times where he can
literally turn invisible, which he's going to do alongside
Cassie and start investigating in this home where they keep the
democracy at. OK, so you.
And Cassie are basically going to go around to the front door.
To go in there is very good. The the toads overwhelm Chris,
Martin and Craig. I'm just going to show them what
we'll be. OK.
So I'm going to roll 2D6 plus judgement.
Oh. That's only a six, but plus A2,
that's an 8. I will lend a.
Hand, I'll provide aid to you. Roll 2D6.
Plus Tangled. Yeah, I got.
A four and a three, which is a 7 + 2 is 9.
So that's a nine on provide aid on 7 to 9.
Choose one. They get plus one to their
rules. Split the harm with them so you
get plus one to your role. OK, that makes.
It a nine stun a small group as their lives flash before their
eyes. That's what what will be is on a
7 to 9. The group is stunned until
interfered with or a minute passes.
So I think for a split second, Ron ascends into the air this,
you know, average looking white man, little pot belly, goes to
the gym but doesn't like make an effort when going to the gym,
but hits on like a lot of women, just like a lot of women.
Maybe has a ketchup stain somewhere on the shirt.
I'm describing this more than I need to really.
He is in every way just one of them.
But things change. The world grows cold, and they
feel cold, and they see. Their own deaths.
Played over and over these frogs, killing them over and
over, replaying like a bad audio tape on loop.
And all they can. Hear is the cacophonous noise of
frogs, of toads screaming in their ears as something
something sinister. OK very good.
They are all demigods themselves so this won't be for a full
minute but it will take effect. Can I add to it?
I think your form because you had that bland form.
I think your form ages in front of them.
So that like they. Can like see themselves aging in
you as these frogs climb up and they are completely just
overwhelmed. I have.
Unstoppable. Once you start moving the mortal
barriers, a few mortal mortal barriers will stop your
momentum. Usually you won't need to roll
for this unless the herald deems it so and the barriers barriers
exceptionally reinforced. In that case, roll 2D6 plus
prowess gifted. If you have divine might, you
can charge through most supernatural barriers, which I
do have 'cause I think the the distraction of.
Putting 1 mother fucker. Through a wall.
Kind of get gather more. Attention than two people
sleuthing in behind alongside the frogs alongside like whoever
got grabbed also witnessed basically death itself,
heralding in their cyclical death by frogs for all of
eternity and knowing that these people were brought in by.
Whatever, Richard. 'S name actually is.
OK, so you will do one damage to Chris Chelmsworth.
Each of you take a thread for being epic.
Levy, the frogs go in, they see death, they see what it's going
to look like. They're not going to live
forever if they were mortal. I mean, they're demigods.
You don't quite know, but Chris goes flying through the door
and, you know, lands a couple feet in the door.
And just after that, Thane and Cassie darken the doorway and
you step in to a room. It is wood paneling.
All over. It is.
It is a 1980s. Den.
Sitting area wood paneling. The couches have those vinyl
covers over them, the plastic covers.
There's a record player and a weird old looking TV.
There's a ballot box in one corner.
There is a like an old stereo with like the giant the giant
speakers ugly ass rug under the the floor panelling the the
lights have these green glass. Lamp shades.
Over them and in the middle you see a man standing in front of a
woman. She is sitting in a chair.
It's a lawn chair tied up in the lawn chair, eyes kind of held
open. Very Clockwork Orange style
looking. At.
ATV. As the man says.
To her. But this is what the.
American Dream is really about in order for you to make you
happen, we have to stop. The illegals from.
Coming in, we have to stop the deviant sexuality.
We have to. Have control the.
Trains must. Run on time.
Do you? Understand And she's she's
sitting there, her eyes are are pried open and she's staring at
propaganda there on the old ass TV.
There's just propaganda flickering and flickering as the
God of fascism. Tries to.
Brainwash the God of the American Dream.
Hey, Cassie. Yeah.
You said democracy is. Missing right?
But they also have the. God of the American Dream, it
sounds like. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't make
sense for fascism to stop at one.
Agreed. But why aren't they the?
Same. I mean they're.
They're two different things. The let.
Me put it a different way. What was a democracy doing
before they went missing? Like most recently reminding
people. Of the importance to vote.
Reminding people of. The the importance of civil
responsibility. The action of it.
Though not any particular results.
I would like. To Pierce The Veil, and Fane has
a skill attached to that. It will mean I have to stop
being invisible for a second, but I think we're past the point
of needing it. I'd like to read the stars, OK?
Which gives me a. Plus one and all Pierce The Veil
rules, sure. And I have fate's.
Favor from my My cool chat with Ruhan which gives me an 11.
OK, awesome. Ask me 3 questions.
According to Cassie, what would. Democracy appear as What does
democracy look like? The thing is, is that.
Cassie doesn't know what democracy is going to appear
like right now. I will tell you that democracy
has been described in the description of this room.
Democracy appears as different things to different people, but
there is something in specific democracy needs in order to
work. What's in the ballot?
Box. Oh, you have to cross.
Through the whole entire room and catch Fascism's notice
before you can make it to the ballot box.
Sick run in. White.
Man form I'm. Going to fix that in about 10
seconds. Looks through and sees Thing
looking around and then she's going to land onto the ground,
forming into a very different form.
Picks out from her pocket a Gold Star with a gold plated silver
star and tosses it in like a grenade.
And out loud, she. Says.
You want to know what those? Represent.
You really want to be a. Nazi die like them.
And I'm going to use my. Ascendance move.
I have become death. Immortal chooser of the slain.
For this moment, I'm impervious to harm.
I waved through mayhem and raised fallen allies to live
again. This party isn't over until I
say it's over. Well, guess what?
I've invited what That star represents 100 US veterans who
fought against the Nazis and the Japanese in World War 2, and
I've raised them from the dead to fight one more Nazi.
Chris Chelmsworth stands up and is immediately bowled over by 10
zombies in American Army outfits.
As. 90 more come. Up.
Upon the house, just come out of the fog.
You draw them out of the fog and they're coming up on the House.
Yeah. I'm hoping it'll provide enough
of a distraction so Fain doesn't get God smashed.
Fascism looks up from where they've been trying to where
he's been trying to indoctrinate the American Dream into his way
of seeing things. To poison the American Dream so
that she can go out and remind people that the only way that
they can achieve the American Dream is by stomping on people
that they consider lesser than, rather than to just work
themselves up. And he looks.
Up from that. He.
Flicks a hand and the lawn chair holding the American Dream goes
flying into a closet and shuts as he turns to this advancing
hoard and smiles. Because he knows.
The truth that even some of them.
Now have lost. Their way.
And when they? Once said that they would fight
fascism to the death. Some of them now live it.
He is ready to. Fight them.
He pulls out his own sword and shield, and then you have a
chance to get around. Fane is going.
To let go of the things that always hold Fane back from
making a massive move or, quite frankly, from asking for help.
Fane remembers a piece of advice where it's in the little things.
So it's not actually getting across this room and grabbing
the box and getting overwhelmed by the big picture of it.
It is about simply uttering the phrase you know, whoever has
control of that ballot box that have a massive opportunity to
mold this world however they like.
It's as if. Their ears are burning, watching
these men being eaten by frogs. Everything is like, like,
there's so much going on, but through the chaos and noise of
it all, opportunity hears their name.
And the door opens and they turn to look in the direction of the
90 other World War 2 dead veterans trying to crawl through
the windows and doors of this house.
And they see through it almost like a telescopic lens.
And I see through all of them. I see Thane.
They're kind of like looking and then past then like still
zooming eyes past that as I think almost my eyes, because I
am a shape changer, does change almost cartoonishly into like
like cartoonishly into a telescope as I see past all of
these and I see this ballot box that's chained to the wall.
And I go, oh, I can get a key for that.
And then I just start running and so.
As you're running, hashtag blessed means that you are
running. The frogs all happen to jump out
of the way. They are parted like the Red Sea
for your your move in as you wade through the oncoming dead.
It's it's you, just you. It's like you're dancing.
It's it's like you're doing a great dance at the club.
As you move your body, maybe something goes swinging and it
just misses you. You step to the side and someone
goes falling, but it doesn't touch you.
None of it touches you. You are going towards, and this
is huge because remember when you looked at democracy, the
picture of democracy and all you saw.
Was. Was like a a stick figure
drawing. But this is what I.
Think democracy really looks like to you?
It's not a person. It is the.
Opportunity to vote and to make your choice and to have your
voice heard. And you come up to.
That ballot box, do you say anything I'm.
I mean, I I'm. Imagining the running through
all of this and then like seeing it across the room and
potentially fascism is what like sees me kind of going for it and
I just jump and like power slide across the ground.
Like I'm hitting home base and just yelling.
I want to use trusted. Advisor to to help opportunity.
Maybe have some clarity. Of mind in this moment, just to.
Get them a little bit more. Wherewithal so basically what
happens here for you my friend is with my trusted advisor
ability. You get a + 1 if if I'm able to
provide aid, so you'll get like an extra plus one to whatever
you get asked to roll here her chef.
So I I guess, I guess. As you're like weaving through
everything in your slow motion, diving for the ballot box, you
hear like maybe in slow motion, the voice of fame just piercing
through all of the like, World War 2 gunshots and frogs and
screaming and you just see, You just hear.
Democracy is the box. Democracy can be corrupted by
anything because it's the box. Bam.
And I think your. Tangle is a + 1 so that that is
a nine, so 10 with my trusted advisor.
They get a plus. Two to their role or a + 1 and
gain a thread. I'm guessing you want the +2 to
the role. Yeah.
Yeah, OK. I'm going to have you have, oh,
you mean this gate key opportunity, but I'm also going
to have you perform under pressure.
Yeah, I could do larceny. With that.
So you have. You roll plus three?
Yeah. Cuz I guess I'm.
Just trying to, yeah, I'm trying to generally get away with
something that I don't want to get caught doing so.
Take Plus. One OK.
Cool. Oh, that's a 13.
In total, as I like again, sliding across the ground like a
like a runner trying to get to home plate and like from the
sleeve of Ronald pulling out the key that's made exactly for the
shackle I slide. And because I'm a hashtag
blessed, the key goes directly into it and I'm able to turn,
I'm able to turn it to like unlock it right as I just boom,
slam right into the wall from, you know, the momentum of
sliding and all. I just turn and look at.
Cassie and go Sometimes you just have to break the rules to beat
the person who's breaking the rules.
Cassie smiles. She looks down, and in her hand
a little flame gathers. And it's actually.
Burning an opportunity. Who is, you know, when people,
when it gets time to vote in a presidential election, all of
the celebrities film like little videos of themselves saying get
out and vote. Who is the celebrity saying that
that would get you to get out and vote?
I mean, it could. Genuinely be anybody is kind of
the thing with opportunity. Anybody who can convince them is
kind of the problem here. It could be like my favorite
librarian like genuine. Maybe it's that that what's his
name? Michael the New the new guy who
does Reading Rainbow I. Think he's got an energy?
That opportunity really likes. You undo.
The shackles and they fall away, and Michael the librarian stands
up where he's been sitting crouched down as this ballot
box. And he looks at you.
And he says. You've done a great.
Service opportunity. And then he pushes back against
fascism. It is an entire wave of energy
that pushes, just pushes everything back.
You're. All now standing in a polling
place. The frogs are.
Gone. The.
Dead warriors are gone. The three.
Demigods. You never found out what they're
the demigods of, but they were easily corrupted by fascism, so
we don't really care about them. They're gone.
Fascism is also. Gone.
Fascism is nowhere to be seen. There is a.
Closet over in the corner and. Democracy.
Walks open to it, unlocks the door, pulls it open.
The American Dream is sitting in a rolly chair, still tied up,
her black braids a little bit of a mess, but she smiles to see
democracy. The two of them work hand in
hand, and democracy pulls off the the tape that's holding her
down. It's it's God to your tape.
Both of them stand in front of the six of you.
Cassie. Runs and throws her hands around
Michael the librarian. You don't know who she.
Sees as she hugs democracy. Democracy looks at you and says.
Thank you, thank you, each one of you.
Fascism has kept me locked up for as long as he has because
it's easier to take over without democracy.
And they they. Sigh.
And they look at the American Dream, and they look back at
you. Even my power is not enough to
stop the rise of fascism. It is going to take.
More than just this. And I hope that I can count.
On each one of you to. Do your part to keep him at Bay
thing. Kind of steps.
Forward. Not his MO, not his bag, not the
thing he's custom accustomed to doing.
But he says with all due respect.
I have spent a lot. Of time being afraid of an
existential threat. Studying.
Everything that I could to make sure the right thing was
happening. And the only thing I've learned
is that the only thing that stops bad things from happening
is good people doing good things.
The caveat to. That is, everyone has access to
you, your democracy ship. This was not a hostile takeover.
I have documented evidence of the roots of evil growing in the
gardens of good. This wasn't a.
God overtaking you. This was a people lied to and
tricked and using you to advance its agenda and it's going to
keep trying to do that. It keeps popping.
Up every couple of decades because it knows how to use you.
So it isn't just that we. Have to do our best.
It's that we need to ironclad. The defenses.
And the response when it does come.
We literally only one. Today, because we had a lucky
opportunity to do so when we found the right answer.
We can't keep relying. On luck to win.
You are completely. Correct.
Thing and you have to. Understand.
That I am a. God.
That is born. From.
People's beliefs, Disbeliefs. Any questions?
About democracy. I am available.
To all that is part of my purpose.
As I said, fascism has an easier way if I'm.
Not there, but it is still absolutely possible.
For fascism to take. Over even when democracy is in
place. I stand in many ways.
Neutral. I simply exist to attempt to
give the people power. People, meaning all people.
But there are people who will take power and.
They will. Attempt to diminish other
people's power. Now that that is something.
That I can fight against. But I can.
Only. Do so much under God.
It's up to you. It's up to you.
With your feet still in the moral world.
To help spread a democracy that is good for all people.
So we're definitely. Not.
The end. All and be all.
But you've taken. One step.
Yeah. Sure.
I mean, hey. You got me to get my first
library card so I could, you know, do my part to stop fascism
too. I guess this was kind of fun.
Like this was, honestly. I'm usually out doing stuff
mostly by myself, but like, working with all of you to, you
know, do something that seems good.
I'm pretty sure this is good. I think this is the good thing
that that was supposed to happen and.
I'm down to keep doing. This.
You know, if you all want to do this together.
I mean, we got to start somewhere.
Right. And Yarrow is actually going to
look at Cassie and just put a hand on her room and say.
If you want help getting. Out there to the community,
whether that's, you know, a food bank or a table.
My raccoon and I. Could certainly help you.
If you want to that. Is.
Hi, Cassie. Smiles.
She's got a big crinkly dimple smile on it right now, and she
takes your hand, She says. I'd really like that.
God, we've got tables to. Build.
Communities to bring together. Looking down.
Hand resting on upon her chin, dressed in a long cloak, the
very image of Canada bereft, Rouhan doesn't speak but
eventually rests her eyes upon democracy.
The image. Of the many who've already died
to uphold a sense of ideals that continue continue to be under
threat. You've asked a lot of.
Us you're a God. What will you do?
Democracy smiles. Yes, we are gods, but we are
made from the power of the questions and beliefs.
Of people. I will do my.
Best to continue instilling in a spiritual way.
In people. The importance of democracy.
But mortals can't rely on gods to fix everything for them.
As much as. You would love as much as we.
Would all love. That I could just.
Snap. My fingers.
I spirit away fascism to another dimension all together.
I do not have that. Power.
Do you realize that fascism? Is in you too, right?
Yes, all I do. Is ferry the dead to where they
go next? I deal with the dead, with
people whose decisions have already been done.
I can't help you. Ruhan, you still have a foot in
the moral. World.
While you remain neither dead nor alive, you still have that
spark of. Humanity in you.
Do what you can. Even if it means.
Even if it. Means between helping people to
the. Other side, just helping your
neighbor realize the good that they can do.
Even that's a step in. The right.
Direction. I'm sure you wish I could snap.
My finger and make it be so, huh?
I would love that. But as you.
Said. Even fascism.
There's a. Little bit of fascism in me, it
couldn't be me to. Snap my fingers.
Unfortunately, there is no God of good and right and the
correct way. Yeah, there is.
There's. Thane and Luvi's just going to
basically shoulder bump thing, no?
I. Mean come.
On it's like your whole thing. You're good at finding things.
Why don't you just find the part of fascism that's in democracy
and take it? Take it.
Like get rid of it. You know.
Reach and crush the heart of fascism, that kind of thing.
There's probably like a puzzle or crossword he could do for it.
Even if that's not. Possible you could just like
hang out with democracy. I'm sure what I'm sure you could
use a assistant, right? Someone who's just kind of there
to. Check and balance here.
Make sure you're not. I don't know you like.
An auditor fascism is not a. God.
I mean, yes, we saw a God, but that's not where fascism came
from. People believe in.
Power they believe in, right? They believe in might that
belief. Created.
It that thing we fought so long as they have that belief that
some are superior and some are not, some are determined and
some are not we'll. Keep being.
Here. No matter how they vote.
How sometimes they vote for it. Sometimes that's what they
believe the dream is. Sometimes that's what they
outreach for. Sometimes that's what they die
for. Exactly.
And that's what I'm saying this. Was not the cure.
All freeing me from fascism, locking me up.
It's it's not the cure. All, and I'm so sorry, there
probably isn't the. Right answer here, Levi.
Is just shrugs. And says I just came to help
Cassie find her mom. That's solved.
So I'm just going to like be around but.
I think that's. The crux of it, Lavie, Honestly,
on a large scale, we're probably not going to be able to beat
this thing. Yeah, that's it.
We're not going to beat it on a grand scale, but we can beat it
in the little things, in helping each other in community.
We're not going to be able to keep democracy from becoming a
tool of a fascist machine. We're not going to be able to
stop superiority complex as hell.
We can't stop the thirst for power.
But Opportunity said. This is the most fun he's ever
had working with people. Yaro saw an.
Opportunity and put a bunch of frogs in her way.
Hell, I've lived a life of anxiety over an existential
threat and one conversation with someone who cared alleviated
that for a moment. And.
The part of you. That allowed all of that was
your humanity. So as long.
As you're there, as long as you're there on the mortal
plane. Do your best.
And know that when you come home to us, you wasn't the thing.
We will be so happy to welcome you.
Hey gang, you know. What Maybe.
Maybe this is a long term conversation.
Maybe this is a long term relationship that is building
between all of us that does not get tied neatly in this moment.
And maybe and obviously individuals can go.
I don't want to be a part of that conversation.
Totally fair and fine. Opportunity may or may not lean
One Direction or another. Cassie looks at her.
Mother. Father.
Parent. And again.
Hugs them and thanks them. Cassie leads you all out of the
polling place. You step out.
And the sun is bright. You're very close to the
Congress building. And Cassie says, well, I think
this is a continuing conversation.
Does anyone want pancakes? I.
Only if there's ice cream. Oh.
God. Ice cream ice cream ice cream
pancakes a. Little bit of fruits and some
fruity sauces. That sounds like comfort to me.
It's slowly turning to Yara. Just looking at the.
Raccoon in her arms. I wonder if you invue.
Some of your comfort into ice cream.
Maybe somebody can taste it again.
Staring directly at Ruhan, Who's back.
To his normal self, that sounds really wonderful.
I'll take you to my favorite spot.
No, no, no, let's. Tell you what, you drive, make a
quick trip to the store, all everything whipped up.
Really, it's my pleasure. Got to be a villager if you want
a village, right? Yes.
The four of us. Looking.
At each other, trying to figure out who's the history demigod.
Levi. Speak up.
Yeah, Levi, you like war, right? No.