Welcome to Game Master Monday, the podcast that is a new one
shot in a new system with a new cast.
Every episode this week we are playing This game takes place in
your hometown by Jack Blair and my players are.
Hi, I'm Kelly. I use she they pronouns and I
will be playing Andy who uses she her pronouns.
Hello, I'm Moz or Megan. I will be playing Edith.
They use she her pronouns. This game takes place in your
hometown, is about a couple returning to their hometown and
that are being chased by something called the Hunter.
A lot of the people in your town have already died and you're the
final two people left. This is a game about surviving,
escaping, or something else. We'll see.
This is a game replay of the deck of cards and a block tower.
You too will take turns drawing cards.
Some cards will give you a scenario to role play.
Others will have instructions. We will read those instructions
out loud. If the instructions are in
italics, we won't read them out loud.
So some things audience will just be implied.
You're going to have to trust me.
Some instructions will tell you to pull a block from a tower.
Since we are a digital and audio format, we've replaced this
mechanic with the ones that were used on the podcast.
Follow the leader. Shout out to them.
If a card calls for a tower pull, you will roll 1D20.
If it calls for a quick or fast tower pull, you will roll 2D20.
Rolling the same #3 total times between you will lead to a
Fallen tower. However, there is also a way to
win this game. If our players pull all four of
the two cards, they will secure safety from the hunters.
And that's all you'll need to know about this game as we
watched two of my very favorites role play through the apocalypse
together. One last question on the deck
for you 2 Are you excited? The they are nodding at me in a
podcast format. You'll just have to believe me,
I promise. They're excited.
They're there's No Fear in here whatsoever.
Now that I know we're all excited, let's begin the
adventure. This is your home town at the
end of the world, and it is empty, and the two of you are
alone except for the hunter. As you walk around the streets,
picking through the rubble for supplies, bee hunters have heavy
footsteps. Bee hunters have caught everyone
else. You and your partner have
refused to die. You pick through the scraps of a
life you hardly remember, gathering what you need from it
to survive. The hunters don't need stuff to
survive. The hunters have everything they
need to hurt you. One of you hasn't been home in
years. One of you never left.
You're both afraid, but you have each other.
Who never left? Edith knows a few things and
that is it. That the mailman comes at the
same time every day. That his name has been Larry for
12 years. That his mom, that her mom makes
cookies for him every Christmas. She knows when her siblings go
out. When they left the house, some
of them went far away. Most of them still have stuck
around pretty close, a couple blocks.
Edith owns many of their clothes, their sister's shoes,
their mom's berets, like for their hair.
Everything that Edith knows has always been in this town, and
they've never really ventured out of that.
And that's OK with them. After school, they had a few
friends, one that they were particularly close with, one who
left. And well, after they left, they
kind of just, they found a place to work and that was it.
That was kind of their the rest of their story.
They haven't figured that out yet, but I don't know if they
have time to figure that out yet.
You're in an environment where you both have nothing but time
and not enough time. Which brings me to the person
who's come back. Even though Andy is being
hunted, Andy would still feel trapped here anyway.
Even if the hunters never came. This town feels like a bit of a
cage to her. She's wondering why she even
came back. Or is she?
Is she actually wondering why she came back?
Or is there a quiet reason why she came back?
Because she left here and she had a life and she had friends
and she had things she was working towards and being here,
there was really only ever one thing that kept her here and now
it's the only thing she has to protect.
You 2 have reunited, whether that was before or during this
era of the Hunters, we will find out as we go through your life
and memories together. But we're going to start off by
pulling a card. These cards will all have
various scenarios depending on the suit and number you pull,
and some of them will of course have instructions.
So we'll go ahead and begin with the person who never left.
A three of diamonds. The dairy on the corner near the
house you grew up in is sealed shut with metal shutters, but
you know how to get in around the back thanks to an old
friend. What is it you find there?
Edith finds a diary that they have.
Well, it was kind of traded amongst friends.
It first started as a note sending journal and in between
class it was easier to do when you were sitting in the same Pew
as your best friend at church every weekend for Sunday school
and during service. The inside was well it started
with one set of handwriting to the next, a conversation in
silence back and forth passed back and forth behind a Bible so
that way they can still have a fun conversation without
laughing out loud. The last couple pages, well most
of the last couple of we're just eat it's thoughts kind of stuck
in a loan until they had abandoned it here.
So you locate this, you now have it.
You can reference this whenever you might need it, which I'll go
to you. Andy will pull your the first
card and. The 8 of diamonds.
You find some kind of weapon. What is it?
Where did you find it? Who used to own it?
Ask your partner if they think you should take it.
I. Think it's a hockey stick.
I think maybe on long summer days Andy and a certain best
friend would maybe play hockey at the end of the cul-de-sac and
stay out way too late and get yelled at when we went home for
staying out too late. I think maybe we find it in
Edith's Edith's shed by their home.
Should I take it? You're seriously going to take
this from my house? Well, why?
Why wouldn't we? You got a reason not to.
No, just just take it. Nobody's going to use it.
OK, I mean, we're being hunted, so I would think we could use
anything and everything. No, I said.
Take it. OK, all right, I take the hockey
stick and I'm doing everything to read Edith's face about why
this is seemingly a sort of subject.
Well, you now have a hockey stick and some questions about
your friend Edith. You're up for drawing a card. 9
of hearts. This was the home of someone you
loved. No modifier.
The home is their mother son. The last time Andy was here, her
dad and mom lived here together and after Andy had left they had
well went through a divorce and well a couple things have
happened since then. It is comfortable if you can
think of the shag carpets where there are footprints kind of
pressed into the carpet, the seats and the couches that are a
little too low. And when they look to Andy,
there's trying to recognize if they remember anything, if
they're like, now that they've left and come back, is any of
this like special to them like it was to Edith?
So when they open the door, the familiar smell of the house that
they have lost due to like nose blindness comes back.
And they're just like just casting looks over at Andy.
I know there's something that Mom used to keep in the
cupboard, so we could possibly take those.
But watch your step. Remember that one is a little
wobbly. Yeah, but I do have my
priorities. And she walks straight for the
kitchen and 3rd drawer from the left opens it up.
The candy drawer. You've always had the best candy
drawer here, Jesus. It starts stubbing her pockets
with whatever is in there. Yeah, she always kept up with
this. And then eat at the lean over
and pull out like a special flavor of like nerds or
something. There's like, that's mine.
I wasn't going to take it. You knew I wouldn't.
I just. I know it's your favorite.
I wasn't going to take it. It's been your favorite since we
were 8. Oh, so you remember some things?
I remember a lot of things. Don't underestimate me who you
think I am. I know I see you big hockey
stick. Yeah, we're ready.
I'm and they just playing like
the nerds rope a little bit, just being like, oh.
Yeah, absolutely lethal. They got nothing on you.
Take a huge bite of it. It's like you're damn right
ferocious. Andy, we are going to your next
card pull please. Be a 2 please.
No it's another 8. Why am I only pulling eights 8
of clubs? The wind whips past you and a
book pulled from some house or shop that hits your body as it
is tugged along. What is the book?
Do you keep it I? Think it's a yearbook from when
we were like maybe freshman or sophomores in high school or
something and there's a picture of us in it on like the hockey
team. Like we went on to play it like
it wasn't just long summer days. Like we went on to do that
together in school and we look so happy.
Like the way teenagers blissfully unaware of whatever
hardships are in their future, it can only be happy that this
is just them and their friends together.
And on an opposite spread on the other page is some asshole Edith
used to date. But we're not going to talk
about that guy right now. We're going to close this book
and only focus on the good parts.
And I put it in my bag. You have a hockey stick, a can
full of candy, and a yearbook that you can reference to
throughout this game. Which goes back to you, Edith.
Live of Spades. The boutique clothing store you
could never afford has its windows smashed in already.
Do you take a moment to pick something that will make you
laugh or something that will keep you warm?
Either way, pull a block. If they're with Andy, they'll
see something that will make them laugh and they'll hand it
like they'll pull it, but they'll pull something warm for
Andy to wear. Before you tell me what that is,
can you roll AD 20 for me? A. 16.
We now have a 16 on the board. If you roll two more sixteens,
the hunters will catch you. No.
OK, OK, it is a very plush, comfortable almost winter
jacket, but it's like stylish enough for this boot boutique
that you could wear it and still maneuver around.
Edith will just kind of put it around you and be like, and to
help zip it up or button it. They're just like OK at least
I'm not even 1. Of us will.
I'm not even cool. I'm fine.
That's that, that makes sense yeah they're going to Yep.
Here, let me just get under your chin, lift your head left.
There we go. OK yeah.
And we'll it has like one of those hoods with like the the
fur lined or whatever. Yeah, yeah, around it and we'll
situate it. And when they do, they're
letting their hands and a slow softly like land on the on your
hair. But they're not going to like
fully. They're just going to pull back.
Thank you. Thanks.
Let's keep going. 6 of hearts. What was the last thing you 2
had a long conversation about? Remember it together.
I think the last big conversation we had was Andy
trying to persuade Edith to come to school with her, like, to go
away to school with her, hey. Did you ever think about like,
why didn't you want to go away with me when I asked when I went
away to school? Like I know we kind of got you
were. Able to go away to school I
couldn't I couldn't you know I this was here I know Jacob was
the older brother and and people were doing things but they still
needed me like my place was here that was what was what you're
supposed to I mean I couldn't go that's.
What do you mean supposed to? What do you mean we kind of like
we? Grew up here, I know.
Yeah, but, you know, sometimes where you grow up isn't
necessarily the best place for you.
You're saying it's not the best place but this is all my fam.
Like all my families at the church and all of them grew up
here. Like I would be leaving my
cousin's like every I would have to like everyone went to the
school near here. Why I would have to not, I would
have had to explain to them that I had to go away for school when
they didn't have money for that and.
Well, first of all, you're the smartest person I know and you
would have gotten a scholarship. And second of all, there has,
there has to have been other, other things that you want in
life for yourself, right? I have nice things.
I I this this is more than enough, right?
Like I could. Yeah, yes, Andy, this was this
was perfectly fine for my brothers.
This was perfectly fine. But my sister, she got married
to Tony. Remember Tony?
Like. He.
He was. Yeah, like it made sense.
And then mom needed me, so if I left I would have to come back
anyway. So there was really no point.
And I could have went to school here for the same reason and
saved money. Fine, OK.
And she continues to walk. The things that tie us to our
hometown still ringing important even as you hear the heavy
footsteps and as everything you once knew is gone.
Which is going to bring us over to Edith.
Bean of Hearts. Someone you know got married in
the garden you now find yourself in.
The marriage has ended. Now whose wedding was it?
It was a beautiful wedding. It was simple, everyone when the
family was there, everyone in the family provided the food.
That cut on costs, but it made it so much more inviting and
fun. Half the guests were part of
Edith's family. She wore her fanciest stuff.
They had went to town, to one of the bigger stores to get better
things, but they didn't fit right.
They wished Andy was there, but they weren't.
So they walked, did everything alone.
They were still mingling with their cousins, but it wasn't the
same as being with your friend, being with somebody you look at
fondly. Her sister married Tony, a
person he had dated for years. They have broken up way more
times than they have been together, but the family was so
happy that they finally just got married.
Unbeknownst to Andy, they had broken up this year for a small
little agreement disagreement, but it was enough and the family
was kind of tired anyway of like them always breaking up and then
getting back together. So this was just another story.
So where there was a natural arch in this garden that is
probably broken apart, all the grass, grave or brown from
people's footsteps, they will like lean down to try and see a
little bit more of the garden and then they'll hear a Russell
in the bushes. It is A1.
OK. So one on the board now.
And that is A7. OK, good.
Good, that's good. Consider this.
You've moved the pieces on the tower deftly and carefully.
Pieces missing but not wobbling yet.
Andy, you'll pull your card next.
I'm so scared be it too. It's a 7 of clubs.
You could have sworn this street was beyond a landmark you now
notice is rubble. What was it before?
It was a fountain at the center of town, and Edith and I would
go there since we were little little and throw our pennies in
and make wishes that maybe did or didn't come true.
But we've just watched the pennies somersault in the
sunlight to the bottom of the pool.
And it's a it's a tradition that we didn't grow out of as long as
we were here together, scrounging in pockets, hoping to
come up rich with something to offer fate.
And when we didn't have one, we just say better luck next time.
But it is, I imagine, overgrown with algae.
Maybe it hasn't run. And it's just so it's a little
crushing to see it like this. Whenever, whenever we would be
here together, of course we would make wishes together.
What you wish for, what did you wish for?
And sometimes we would share and sometimes we'd be cheeky about
it. But every once in a while, Andy
would be walking here alone and would still make the wish and
would wish for something very specific.
And it's a wish that she wished until she left this town in the
dust. And the wish, it never arrived.
It never happened. And there's something
devastating about seeing something that she'd placed
maybe misplaced. So much sincere hoping.
I think maybe her eyes are watering just a smidge at the
sight of it like this. Edith, when you notice Andy
having this emotional moment where the fountain once stood,
you know that this is going to be something that stops her,
makes her feel emotion. She's trying to catch her
breath. So before you tell me what you
tell her, I need you to roll AD 20. 13.
There's a 13 on the board now. They're trying to avoid a
certain part of the fountain where they probably put their
initials, her names like like fun, just scratchings or
something when they're really young, possibly after church.
But they're using their body to hide A plus sign that they put
in between those initials. So they'll kind of go around
just are you, are you OK? Yeah, it's just sad.
We have a lot of memories here. It's sad they're still.
Under there, right? What do you mean?
They're just a little trap little well under all of this
skunk. They aren't gone.
I. Don't know.
It's kind of we put a lot of stock in it though.
Maybe we came here all the time. It's a little silly.
I still came here after church, after I went with my mother.
She didn't think of wasting pennies.
But I I tossed a couple in there too.
That's good. Did you keep Thonaman after I
left? I would toss in two, one for you
and 1 for me. Thanks.
Do you do? You have one hold one.
I think she starts rummaging in her own pockets.
I think she comes up short, but she pulls out a couple of spree
as close to coins as we're going to get, right?
Eat it like pulls out their hand for for some of them.
Great. OK.
I think three of them count as like one coin.
Yeah, sure, you can eat a couple of them.
It's OK. OK, just grab one.
OK. And as they're like literally
putting into their mouth, they're just smiling but looking
at AD as if like if this was any other moment right now, this
would be perfect. But they close their hands
around the spree. One wish.
Yeah, you got to make it a big one, though.
Ready. We count to three.
No more. Ready 123.
You don't have to tell me, but I'm curious.
But I'm not going to ask because I'm a grown up.
I'm a grown up and I'm not going to.
Ask Yeah, we do this all the time, OK?
It's either you or me asking what we each wished for, and
this time it's you. But.
I'm not going to. Say Edith hasn't thrown the
spree yet, by the way, but they're just like holding it in
their hand and they're just pointing over to you, like you
really want to know what I wish for.
I don't know the way you're saying it, I'm not sure.
What did you wish for? Give me a guess.
People place thing. People.
I guess I wished for a place. See if it was just come true.
And of spades. You find a hidden place, perfect
to stash some of your things until you can come back for
them, or perfect for another escapee to find.
Hey, there is a do you remember that old like mailbox that
doesn't work anymore and the post office never used it but
they never came up to pick it up and it's just sitting there.
Yeah, it's more just a feature. Pretty much right and then it
just got dented in after that weird dude like crashed into it
and then they still didn't pick it up.
They. Never pick anything up.
No, no. Everything in this town needs
four to six weeks to process and then three to five years for it
to decay. And then finally it hurts a
little kid and they're like OK, fine, we'll.
Someone got tetanus. I guess we should take care.
Someone complaint like, yeah, one too many complaints and
let's go stash some of our stuff there.
OK. I have a diary of what do you
have? Oh, I have a yearbook.
I didn't. You can.
Do we want to set up a little cash for us?
Just something to come back to if.
Yeah, I think that's a good idea.
OK. I'm going to leave some of the
candy here, not. Too much?
Just some. Yeah, just some, uh, they're
going to take the spree and like they still have in their hand
and put in their pocket, umm, and then stash the diary.
He can't fit the hockey stick in there.
Do we know? But umm, yeah.
Let's keep talking. We should.
Yeah, we would keep a hockey stick, but this will be where
our food and water goes if we find any.
Yeah, OK. That's.
A good. Idea see they didn't pick it up
before, so they're not going to they're not going to find it
now. And as they say that, they do a
little little knock knock on it as if just jinx proofing it.
No, it's not a it's a sort of Jack of clubs.
There's no the spades. You find a note in a home that
tells you that you're not the only ones left, and relief is
tangible. I think just so absent mindedly,
I think they are just combing through abandoned houses looking
for anything they can use. Supplies what have you weaponry
anything to try to stay alive opposing these hunters and
straight up does not even realize that we are in the home
of an X of Edith's and we find this letter here trying to let
any other survivors know that happened across it that we
should be meeting up with them. Hey, you here and hands you the
letter to take a look at it yourself.
What are you hitting? It's from that guy.
What was? What's his face?
Is it Adam? Which one was it?
Adam. Adam.
You know Adam. The Gibson.
Yeah, Bad haircut, Adam. Yeah, Bad haircut.
Yeah. Oh, this is, this is Adam, OK?
This is his house. And.
Oh, this is. OK, yeah, OK, yeah, and he
wants. What does this say I.
Think they? For there's, there's here.
Go to the there's no, we're not the only ones left.
We're not. What are you?
What are you thinking? What are you thinking?
Shouldn't we see them? I mean, I don't.
I mean, it could be a lie, but I don't know.
Do you think we're better in a bigger group or?
Why? They're still on our trail,
aren't they? Yeah, they're.
Still on our. Trail going close to them would
mean that we for sure have food or numbers.
OK. But it would also mean that we
bring trouble to their doorstep. Once it be fair, I think it's at
everybody's doorstep. Yeah, I.
I'll do whatever you want to do. There's this like scrambling in
their face of like looking in two different directions. 1 is
like where there are no footprints and the other word,
they're just like looking across the way to pass Adam's house to
where people are possibly talking and congregating.
And there's this sense of familiarity with Edith is just
like, I feel so much more comfortable around people I
would know. But if you think we would be
quieter and safer together, then I'll go with you.
I want, I want you to you make the call.
You make the call, I am making the call, OK.
What am I? What am I reading on Edith's
face? They we're saying that they will
go it alone with you, OK. But.
They should wait until the hunters are off the trail.
But you saying that, I know that's what you're saying, but
what is your face saying? Like is it content with that
decision or is there anything being held back?
There's been something being held back and I've known you
forever and I can tell when you are.
Yeah. They have sat next to you at the
church. They have always hugged closely
to their family. They have not left town so they
are looking at the house that Adam was.
Bad haircut Adam and that's what we for sure called him and made
doodles about in the diary anyway.
You dated him, but that's he's perfectly.
Fine, we don't talk about that. That was 1 summer.
That summer. It's very bad summer.
Let's go find them, OK? Enough clubs.
You sprained something and it hurts to move, but you can lean
on your friend. Edith walking with you to
follow. They just there are these wooden
stairs that people put into the ground and like they're just
makeshift stairs from whatever they're going up those stairs
and they haven't been replaced in a while.
So when Edith just immediately just twist their like like their
leg and sprain something, they just clutch onto Andy and their
face is just instant pain like Oh I damn it.
Oh. Oh, ice, be careful.
Ice, ice, ice. OK.
All right. OK.
I'm just going to hop. Closer to you.
You're not going to hop. I think she's straight up puts
you on her back. I don't think she's even.
Willing you're not doing this I. Am doing this.
Shut up, I am doing this. You're not doing this.
I am. Who's holding the hockey stick?
I've done it before. Oh my God, ow ow.
This really hurts. But you don't need to do this.
I can just hop next to you. We don't.
For a little bit. There's trying to like get
comfortable. She probably takes off the
jacket you gave to her and puts it on you instead because you
she will be easier to hold on to without the jacket.
So she puts it on you. And I think there's a moment
where given the cold weather, the the vapors as we breathe and
I see mine and I see yours in such close proximity over my
shoulder. And it's one of those moments
where you did something without thinking, but then you're so
aware of how close someone is to you that like, perhaps there was
a boundary here. But whatever that was, it's gone
now. And we're just moving our way
through it. And so she almost had.
She steadies herself, and she takes a moment to process that
boundary being removed. Now the italics on this ask the
card puller to pull a dice to pull a block with their non
dominant hand. But since we're rolling dice and
that doesn't really matter, I'm going to interpret this as since
you're both helping, you can both roll the D20.
Since this is meant to be cumbersome, I.
Have a nine. I roll the seven.
Our second 7. No.
If we've hit a third seven, you will of course be discovered.
An ace of hearts. Your partner turns their back on
you for just a handful of moments.
What do you do while you're alone?
Edith maybe gets frustrated with Andy insisting on carrying her,
and Edith maybe walks a little distance away, hobbling, trying
like what are you trying to prove right now?
Like, trying to maintain that, yes, there she is strong enough
to walk by herself. And Andy, like anyone trying to
look out for who they're with is is bringing up their rear, is
walking in the back and giving maybe Edith some space to reach
the conclusion that, yeah, maybe being on Andy's back was a good
thing. Maybe I should do that again.
And what I think about when I am alone, even just in that brief
distance between us, all that's running through Andy's mind is,
is this happening? No, it's not.
I'm I'm imagining this is it? And it's just a quiet argument
that she is having with herself. 8 of hearts.
You stop your partner and confess something that happened
in the years you were apart. They're slowly getting back
closer. Edith is finally accepting their
they possibly hear some kind of little muttering, but they're
kind of already kind of coming back onto if you just feel first
like their hand and then finally their whole weight.
And they use that to kind of push your hair back.
So they're not like pulling on your hair while they're on your
back, but they're leaning a little too close and you're
still wearing possibly the same perfume that you had from years
back. But before you get up, before
Andy gets up, they stop them for a SEC.
Just let me lean on you for a little bit.
I haven't taken a whole deep breath for a long time now.
I, I did leave town for a bit there when after you had left,
there was this, there was this New Girl that worked at the
coffee shop and she was taking classes at the, at the school a
couple towns over. You know the one, the one that
well was like plan C. The thing is she was she was
really fun and she had convinced me to take a couple classes with
her and it turned into like a semester and she had a a place
out there. So I would drive out there and
maybe stay over because, you know, driving back would be too
long. And she asked me to go with her.
Granted, funny thing was that, well, it's not really a funny
thing. She had a boyfriend, which is
which is crazy with yeah, I, I why is?
That crazy? Why?
Because I thought she was interested in me and I left
town. She probably was.
Fuck, that's besides. She, she wasn't, I promise you
it was a very awkward situation where I, no, no, I literally had
all the strength to, I mean, I didn't do anything.
I hung out. I drank a couple of drinks with
them and thought things and thought everything looked right.
And then the worst word. I mean, they're not the worst
words. Then this dude walks up saying,
hey, I'm here to pick up Beth. And I'm just standing there
like, oh, yeah, I'm Beth's friend.
Yeah, I. Think you see the face of
someone reeling that you were talking about a girl right now.
Edith is more like, like trying to scan the corner of your face
from where they are from behind you because they're so scared
that they had just, if they could have left town with you,
that would have been the right decision.
But they did for Beth for one semester.
And they're just scared that they're, you're going to, like,
knock them out. So they're like, like holding on
just like, like knock them off your back pretty much.
And they're just like butching a little tighter, like you.
OK. Yeah.
I think she's making the face of someone, the kind of face you
make when you're trying to reconcile some hard math, like
trying to add the pieces together.
Because it's patterns, right? It's guy, guy, guy, girl.
Not me girl, other girl. Why?
Nothing wrong with me. Don't know.
It's she's not. She's not upset, but I don't
think she's talking. I think she's overwhelmed.
The Queen of Spades clubs. Clubs The clouds are getting
heavy with rain and you seek shelter in an unlocked
greenhouse. What's growing?
What do you do while you can't hear the hunter coming?
It's a stroke of dumb luck. It's it's somebody's personal
little greenhouse in their backyard where they they're
still growing food in the cold months.
So there are things I feel like it's tomatoes, it's Peppers, it
it's things that need that little bit of extra humidity to
survive in winter. So it's like a little like a
tiny little supply paradise that we have stumbled into.
Holy shit. Hey, you want a tomato?
Oh. My God, you know, if you had
asked me any other time, yes, Hell yes.
I want a tomato like the entire childhood.
Eat at those one every burger. Just no.
No, no. No tomato and they're just
grabbing at it and putting it to their mouth, letting like if
it's fresh, just letting the full like juices of it just fill
them and they're just like. Oh, Oh my God.
OK. Why am I thankful for a tomato?
I don't know, but you're a mess. She takes a handkerchief out of
her pocket. It's like wiping your face.
A tube of diamonds. We have a tube.
We have found the first piece of safety.
The Public Library here is small, but it had bean bags.
The doors are unlocked, you'll be safe here for a little while.
Edith like as soon as they get into the library, they get to
the bean bags they're collapsing under like into it and pushing
out their like leg to see where they had sprained it.
Don't look if there's, it's not good.
A light or something. They're just, it's not, it's
mean. It's fine.
I'm being dramatic. It's fine.
You'll be fine. You'll be fine.
This is not the time for jokes, Andy.
What can I brace this with? I feel like she's poking around
for something to try to reinforce.
I feel like there's a book on this.
I don't know why I think this, but there might be a book on
this. I haven't been to a library in a
long time, but I'm sure I still can find something.
I'll go look for a book on how to.
Brace Edith's ankle. You don't have to actually.
Look for a book I was I'm looking.
I was making a joke. Well, there's.
Probably tape behind the desk. Surprise surprise, I don't think
you're a joke. So I'm looking for a leg.
Edith is like, like, go silent as soon as they say that last
sentence and they're still kind of holding the tomato.
And when they're hearing you get far away, they are clutching
themselves as if they could still remember what you smelled
like. And then as soon as they hear
you come back, like, oh, you're not like a joke.
They're like, I don't know what you mean.
You are literally walking around to find how to brace this.
There's stuff, right? There anything?
I'm a joke. Oh.
My God, fine. What did you like?
Didn't What did you? Where were you going to study
again? What was it again?
It's. Going to be a therapist.
Actually, no. Go, go look.
Actually, go look in that I, I we're good, yeah.
I think maybe I pretend that I did find the book.
I did not, and I'm just doing my best to figure it out, yeah.
They Yeah, OK, they just like watch you do this for a little
bit. Just like that is clearly Calvin
and Hobbes, but it's. Fine.
I'm. A doctor pulls a little too hard
and whatever she's trying to. I'm sorry.
Wow. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
It's OK. It's away.
No, I think is you're, you're doing this right.
Am I? It has to be this way.
Sure. Your face tells me I'm not doing
it right. Well, it's it's a brace, so it
should. I don't know actually I have no
idea. I just it just looks like you
should have. Seen this coming?
You versus stairs is not a good combination, historically
speaking. One agreed, but that was also
Adam. Bad haircuts, dumb stares that
we used to jump off of when we were kids.
He pushed you that time, Dick. He's on.
He's being funny. He's not funny.
Nope. And that's what he used to try
and kiss me later being like, hey, remember that time I pushed
you when we were kids? I actually liked you.
And that was, yeah, don't look. We were, it was, you know, it
was that that party out in that yard and they had all brought
booze, even though we knew that we weren't allowed to drink.
And yeah, he did that weird air guitar thing.
Yeah, like it's an actual thing. He could do it.
Yeah. Like who does that?
Yeah, pick a new party trick. I don't know why he had to do in
the hood of the. Car yeah I think he's just
trying to but look cool in front of you unsuccessfully.
I did also wasted two things can.
Be true. I don't know.
He did kiss what's her name like 2 weeks later so I think he was
just being dumb. He was always dumb.
Yeah. Except for one of you that was
not dumb, but everything else dumb.
No, no, I What do you mean no, no.
Are you kidding me? Everybody liked you.
Shut up. Wait, you thought everybody
liked me? Everybody freaking loved you.
Yeah, yeah. Every time you walked into a
room, people would be like Andy. Oh no.
No, no what? Do you mean?
I was your. I was your.
Your plus one. Nobody was screaming out.
Edith, I promise you this. Get your ears checked.
Other than my grandmother. Get your ears checked maybe.
Perhaps. Whose name was Edith?
And then she said to my mother, name her Edith.
And then that was it. That was the last time in human
history of this town that someone yelled Edith.
Excuse me? She's pointing violently at
herself. Oh, OK.
Yeah, outside of you, but I promise you, you were.
You are much more alike than you can you realize.
Well, Uno reverse actually I'm an adult and I've Uno reversed
you so. Yes, that's that's how that
works. Adults.
It's the law.
Actually, it's the law. That's the law, got it?
Yeah #1. Yeah, you write.
It down in the book. Reverse.
Yeah, that's what it's that's what the legal system's for.
I'm here to enforce it. So Uno reverse.
They, they're probably like a little closer now with the the
brace and they're trying to like manoeuvre and trying to like
step on it a little bit. But as they're like in the bean
bag, they're their arms crossed. They just look over and say what
happened to the one you dated. Me.
What do you? Yeah, here.
The one you were talking, Yeah. We missed the memo on that one.
I didn't date anybody here. Oh, I I thought you were seeing
somebody here. No, you probably didn't notice
because you were too busy being desirable actually so, but.
Yeah, that's not true. I'm going to reverse on that.
You see, works both the ways you say.
It one more time we're going to fight in a library on bean bags.
Great, there are 1000 bucks we will fight.
I will stack them you're. Going to throw a.
Book in on top of them. Oh, it's a high issue.
This is a short joke in these trying times.
Short jokes. Like, I have to do what I can
while you're standing and I have to deal with this.
So yes. I have the high ground, do you
get it? They start getting up, get.
Down. I'm kidding.
No, we're doing. This now we're doing this now.
We're doing this now, OK, We're doing this now.
You. I thought you were all secretive
for a whole summer because you were seeing somebody and then
someone else said that they said they were interested in you.
So I thought you 2 got together and then that's when I went out
with Adam. Yeah, I refer to those as the
dark times when you did not hang out with me as much.
I thought you weren't hanging out with me.
We were not good communicators, it seems at the time.
We're kids. But now we're adults.
A dumb thing that Marcus said. That's what happened.
Marcus said that they saw you kissing somebody and I believed
it and I. Adam's party.
Kissing Adam. Brad Brad tried to kiss me at a
party. It was disgusting.
He tried to kiss me with a cigarette actively in his mouth.
That's disgusting. That's disgusting and
terrifying. I I'm I should have asked.
I just thought you I only had kissed Adam at that point.
And then I heard something happened.
So I thought like to be happy. So I made the mistake of dating
God. That's OK.
I had to watch him air guitar for a whole summer.
No, that's the true tragedy. Honestly, it was a weird time.
We were getting older, all mixed up.
And nine of diamonds. You've found a lot of money in
the boot of a car. You're not sure cash is worth
anything anymore. Ask your partner what they would
have done with this money before.
We've just won the lottery. Too bad every store in town has
nothing left and it's too high. What would you do with this this
kind and just fan some of it in there?
Yes, yes, it's beautiful paper. Just money dance.
We love paper. They're like clutching at it,
like at first being like, oh, this would be, oh, it doesn't
mean anything. And like a couple tears come in
the corner of their eyes and they're just imagining God damn
it, great. But this doesn't mean anything
anymore. And how great would have been if
I could have paid some hospital bills.
That would have been great hospital bills.
Yeah, Mom got pretty sick after a little bit, so I kind of stuck
around taking care of her and things just started piling up a
little bit more and more every single month.
When that bill would come in and you would see a couple numbers,
like a $500 a year and $800 a year for one little check, it
was little. It was like little font.
And you'd think that I could work an extra shift at the like
at the cafe, and then you'd be fine after like six of those.
You. Could have called me.
It would have. Helped to say what, Andy?
Say that you need help with your.
Mom minute, you say that the door slams shut on the trunk of
the car and I need you to roll AD20I.
Hate that whatever this is, I hate.
It I got this. You got this.
I've got a 19. There's a 19 on the board now,
so there are now 6 unsafe numbers and one of those numbers
is very unsafe. 9 of clubs. One of you has tripped and
something has fallen in the darkness, and the Searchlight of
the hunter swings in your direction.
Get out of there as fast as you can.
Quick like bowling Andy down, scrambling from the car to the
other car. Like avoiding the light and
going the opposite direction. Like honor.
Hands and feet just from car to car.
Roll the D20. A20.
A20A2020 on the board it's. The first time.
First time we've rolled in one less safe number though.
Five of clubs. You crossed this field a lot as
teenagers, ambling aimlessly away from school.
You're not ambling now. Pull a block from the tower fast
and try not to think too hard about the sound you heard behind
you. OK.
And since it said fast. I have to do it twice.
You'll roll that same D20 twice. Oh.
I hate this Grant 15. 15 on the board now. 17.
And 17 on the board now. Still first time numbers, but
we're losing those fast. My heart rate.
Yeah. Yeah, that's great.
It's. Wonderful.
I think about halfway across the field we were both panicked and
so we both started to run and your ankle is braced.
But you know, a brace from me is only going to, we're only going
to get you so far. And I think they're drilling.
And it's like, yes. But I think like muscle memory,
we still maneuver paths. We used to walk across the
field. Like we don't step there because
that's where the big rock is and not over there because that's
too close to the swamp and there's or marsh and there's
snapping turtles in that direction.
So we don't go over there and it is like tracing a name that you
know really well as we make our way across the field.
Pull 222 crew. Come on, is it 2?
Yes, 2/2 of clubs. You have two twos, 2 more and
you win. The dive bar downtown smells of
warm beer and you can hear the regulars ringing from the
backroom. You hear glasses clanging enough
sound to cover the sound of you to keep you safe for a little
while. He Edith first hearing that,
knowing that the letter, the excitement to be around other
people for once, the that the comfortableness of like the the
community immediately will grab if Andy allows their hand and
just bar and they were already they had the speed from the
field, so now they're just dashing towards the bar.
This will be so much better. This is better 1-2 heavy door
and then pulls the door on the on the bar to get inside.
Little bells at the door and first person at the bar that
always just first thing that they said since we were kids.
Don't keep the door open, close it just like we pull the door in
instinctively and eat it. What kind of still holding your
hand is like shaking Laura, Laura, are you here?
Can we get drinks, please? Food something.
And I feel like the seats are a little worn in.
There's a lot of random stuff like none of the decor matches,
but because they don't match, it matches.
And there's this slight stickiness to like a little bit
that you touch or like the, the leather on the seats, just a
little touch, not clean, you know, just enough.
I think as you pull Andy through these doors, I think there is an
echo reminding her part of the reason why she left.
She remembers, you know, going to church with you and a family
who outwardly everything was in line, Everything was the way it
should have been, and remembers her father on a late night
coming home from the bar, saying hateful things that no daughter
should have to hear from their parent.
And all having to do with I know what you are and then going back
to church that next week in a Sunday dress with a smile on my
face, just happy to see you. And so I think the door opens
and, you know, the little bell over the door rings and she is
following you because she trusts you.
And then she begins aware where she is.
And you can just feel a slight tremor in her hand of someone
maybe walking through a memory that has caught them off guard
in this moment. OK.
Kind of safe, right? And then at least we know where
we are, which is great. And then this is this loud
enough? We should be fine.
We should be safe here. Yeah.
Yeah, we should lock the door. Yeah, chair.
Yeah. I mean lock the door and then
put the chair too, OK? And she takes care of it because
you need to rest your ankle. Don't move, but they're still
trying to move. I said don't I can do this, Let
me. Do this.
We ran this entire way. OK, seven of diamonds.
You worked here one year during high school.
It was a crappy job. You kind of want to break in.
What kind of place is this? What do you find there?
That's valuable. OK.
I worked there for just one year.
I think it's like like a Subway. And my boss sucked so hard.
My boss was the actual worst, but one of the perks of the job
was I could just get Edith Subs whenever she wanted.
I just gave her free food and I was only worked there a year
because probably my boss found out and then fired me for doing
that. All right, you still take it
toasted untoasted. What are we thinking?
Oh, oh, let's try something different.
Not the usual. Yes.
OK, give me the Andy special. Andy Special, It's just a
meatballs. It's just the meatball stuff
with so much cheese and the garlic herb bread.
That's perfect and. Yeah, that's perfect.
That's exactly what I want. They didn't fire me, you know,
for lack of talent. Because I'm.
Clearly. No.
It's because clearly gifted, he clearly hated you.
Yeah, he hated. Me.
Yeah, he did. My guts.
Yeah, that's fine. I hated.
Her too literally knew your talent.
You know what? They just couldn't handle me.
They couldn't handle a savant being behind the counter.
So. No, yeah, a seven layer 7 layer
vertical. How sandwich?
Shouldn't be possible. I did it.
No, no, there there's a Hall of Fame.
Yeah, right. Yeah, And there is Shaggy,
right? Right, right there.
And scooby-doo for sure. And then there's Andy.
And you know what? They should be first and second
because obviously they. Should they were able to unhinge
their jaw and I think we should applaud that.
I do every day. Yeah, so they were building for
a different, you know, type of savant.
I don't know they're going to grab big stuff and just like eat
equally completely and they're just like I I do miss when you
would work here. This would be so much fun to
come back after but. That hat before I went, the hat
was not for me. That little hat.
I thought it looked cute but I mean it was.
No, you, you don't have to be nice.
I know. It looked too bad.
OK it. Looks cute from perspective now
I guess, yeah. The nostalgia makes.
It cute to your hair that would make like a Dome after like you
working. Here for like 5 hours.
That was really funny when you would take it.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Because you laughed every time.
I know. I'm aware.
I remember. I know.
While you're remembering, since you broke into the subway, I do
need to roll AD 20, Andy. Don't make me Grant have an 8. 8
on the board. First time.
First time, OK. OK, we're OK.
OK, four of clubs. There's a cat walking down a
fence line and just at your eye level it trots towards you.
When it sees you, it's hungry and it misses people.
She'll come with you if you'll have her.
What's her name? Edith is looking at this cat
like oh I've seen her oh come here baby, come here.
She like making the sounds that. Can't still what that can't
still that cat still can't be alive.
That's what's her name. Oh we she has so many names now
though. But.
It can't. It can't be.
It can't be her. I feel like we have to give her
a name. Yeah.
Because it can't be that one, but old one that we would.
It looks like her. It looks like her.
She's just a little grayer around the whiskers.
OK. But we could.
We could call her Meatball We. Could.
Yeah, I like it. I like it.
I'll offer a meatball from my sandwich.
I'm so scared every time I have to do something. 22 spades.
Two spades, one more, and you will have escaped and found
safety. This was your classroom years
and years ago. You don't know all the names of
the children you found here or their teacher, but she whispers
that she'd be happy for the help if you could offer it.
I think maybe it's who do we find like an old teacher maybe
that should have retired a long time ago and she's.
They really believed in teaching.
Yeah, they really believed in teaching, but she's still.
Missus Hayward. Missus Hayward, Yeah.
What it what do you mean she's still here?
Oh, hello, Missus Hayward. Hi, ma'am.
Hi. How are you?
You look. Great.
And they're just like looking up and down and over to Andy, like,
is that the Oh my God, that is the pencil dress.
Got it. The one with all the pencils.
Yep. Yep, still got it.
OK, you know what? Still works.
Still got it, ma'am. Looks great.
I think maybe the way of offering help is there are
probably survivors in various places who are afraid to leave
their posts for fear of vulnerability out in the open.
So she offers the rest of her meatballs up to Missus
Highworth. But I think on our way out,
maybe we walk by a glass case, a trophy case from School F when
we were on the same team and the same picture that's in the
yearbook is in the glass case. An ace of spades.
Andy stopped at the picture. Edith was well as well and how
comfortable it was to hold their hand before Edith was slowly
just reach out and hold their hand and both of them facing the
trophy case Andy and they'll squeeze your hand.
I think as you squeeze it in a moment of boldness, you know how
sometimes a handhold can evolve kind of.
And maybe it was more superficial, but in the in the
moment where maybe when you release a little bit in order to
squeeze, she chooses to interlock fingers with you
instead. You just like looks down, looks
back up, but you and they're just like staring at this
picture and remembering all the times they were laughing, every
single memory of spending so much time with a singular group
of people and sometimes one person for a long period of your
teenage years. Would you, would you, would you
mind? Would you?
Even if we were the last people on earth, it was just the two of
us and that was it. Would you?
Would you stay? I.
Think. She takes a deep breath and
clears her throat. I think if everybody was here
and even more than that and beyond that in a crowded room, I
I'd only stay for you. It clutch your hand a little
tighter but it's shaking as eat it like bites your lip and lets
a couple tears come off the side.
I should have left this town a long time ago.
Yeah, maybe. Three of clubs.
You need something from the pharmacy.
You know exactly what, and you know it's in there.
But a hunter stands above it, Searchlight panning lazily
across the town. Do you risk it?
Wow, I know. I think I see this hunter at the
ready, and I think I quickly back Edith and I up into an
alleyway, like in a shadow, where she is very clearly out of
sight. And I tell her I'm going to be
here. I'll be right back.
OK, You stay here. OK, But no.
Why? You can't keep walking.
I'll be right back and get an extra voice.
I'm not a doctor. We need something better.
This is fine I. It's not fine.
And I think I think you say as you say it's fine.
She like lifts up your pant leg just a little bit to show how
painfully swollen your ankle is right now and how it's just
getting worse from use. It's.
Not fine. They like slowly let go of your
hand and they're just clutching onto the trophy case as you're
walking away, like they can't keep up with you.
So they're just like wincing but trying to hold it together and
just letting, OK. I'll be right.
Back this is a situation where you have to pull a block.
Do I have this? I don't know.
I believe it. It's just
it's a 2. You have not rolled A2 yet.
My freaking heart. She doesn't have too terribly
much at her disposal and she doesn't want to risk a conflict
because she needs to get back to Edith.
That's the most important thing. She told her she'd be back and
she will be. So I think moving between
shadows and buildings, she ends up in one alleyway with like a
like a tin garbage can on the corner and gives it a good shove
and it's a little ways down the street enough to pull attention.
And Andy's got 2 good ankles right now.
So shoves that trash can, knows it will draw us, it will draw
the Hunter's attention, and then sprints around the back
alleyways to the back entrance of the pharmacy and gets what
she needs to get and makes it back to Edith before the hunter
even makes it to the garbage can.
OK, got it. See, I told you I'll be right
back. How?
Dare you do that? I would dare every time.
And just starts undoing the shoddy work that she had done on
your ankle. That was the best.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'll slow down. I'll slow down.
OK. And undoes it and Rea fixes art
fixes the new one securely better.
Much, much better the two of hearts.
Perfect. You found the final two before
the hunters can catch you. You're safe here, certain you're
alone and you have time. Eat something, take a drink,
exhale. You will be safe here for a
matter of weeks, if not longer. You don't need this game any
longer. Edith, after getting some food,
feeling like the feeling back in their leg.
They're walking a little bit, talking a little bit more.
They're having time, but the first thing that they think of
is wait, what? My brother has a has a car in
his garage. He could get out of here.
I. Mean, Yeah, sure.
OK. Yeah, you could do you.
Do you want to get out of here? Are you?
You're coming, right?
This right. You're coming too with me, I'm
saying. Run a little bit, they're like
pacing for a second and stop, turn back.
They'll start like getting your stuff and putting it on you and
like putting their backpack and they're just like we can I feel
better, I can do this and with the and we'll grab your hand
again if they allow. And instead of responding to
what you said, they just say Uno reverse and they kiss you.
It is the law. So and then she as you break,
she sets you back. Yeah, just doing my.
We're doing this. They just shake their head and
like just start walking forward. Yes, we are.
You head back to your brother's house, dodging hunters, getting
in a car, and getting out of your hometown.
Off to whatever could possibly be out there, and that's this
game takes place in your hometown.
Against all odds, you survived. Oh man, holy crap.
Dicey there for a moment, but we got.
Dicey. Folks dicey.
Wow. As we mentioned at the top, this
game takes place in your hometown is by Jack Blair.
There is a link to buy the game in the description and shout out
to follow the Leader, which is a great podcast that also does
cool little one shots and features in these systems and
gave me the idea of that dice roll mechanic for the block
tower. But enough about all of that.
Thank you both for playing with me here today.
Kelly, where can we find more of you?
Oh. Gosh, you can find me.
I go by the Kel Hop on the Internet and if you follow me
you'll find out what I'm in. I'm in Bitten on Crit Hit
Chronicles and Talking XP which is a Daggerheart chronicle and
you can find me in the audio dramas Air 313 and 1.7 Miles to
Lake. Want to tell and I just cut out
for a second. Sorry, but this was a good game.
This is a good. Game.
I agree. Yeah, this was a good game and I
highly recommend any time you hear Kelly's in something, you
go check it out because it's probably going to Rock Ma's.
Where can we find more of you? You can find me everywhere.
It's Mozzarell and mozzarella on YouTube where all my solo
teacher at BG's are, and on Twitch with mozzarella but with
three L's. Yeah, come find me there.
I dare you. Mazda's only amazing things.
It's the law. Actually, you have to.
It is Now that you've heard this, you have to go consume
everything they made. Sorry.
Now you. Now you know whether they're
capable. That's the rules.
I don't know what to tell you. That's the rules.
Thank you all at home for listening if this is your first
Game Master Monday episode because you are rightfully a fan
of these two. We do a new one shot and a new
system with a new cast every episode and we're going to be
back with some real bangers this fall if I do say so myself.
So stick around. You might find some more games
you like and some more creators who you'd want to follow, but
we'll cross that bridge when we come to you if you're planning
on sticking around. We'll see you in two weeks.
Bye, bye everybody. Bye.
Hunter's vision.
This is how I'm dealing with my stress, just walking Grant I
feel. It's fun, right?
Don't you love playing? Games great, I love.
Playing games, this is wonderful, this is so.
Great, I love playing emotionally charged games when
my life is in danger. And Speaking of Andy, it's your
turn.