Session Zero Heroes - A TTRPG Actual Play Podcast
Skylar: jasmine, oolong, green and white. Long ago, these four teas were skillfully brewed at the blissful brew. Then everything changed when the shops popularity threatened its existence. All Mister Okaron, the shops owner and tea master, could do was to recruit four teenage orphans to learn his trade and staff his shop. A year has passed since the orphans were hired, and although their skills have progressed, they still have a lot to learn before they can brew anything. But I believe that they have the potential to make the blissful brew the greatest tea shop in the world. Last time on benders and brews, an avatar Legends podcast, you see a figure sort of hopping down the rocks. It is a black cat like creature with crow like wings. It actually approaches Guo Han. Interesting. I have interacted with very few living humans, but you I have had the pleasure of meeting twice. It seems you have assisted me quite a bit, little human. And for that, I am once again grateful. As thanks for defeating Banfu, I will offer you all these rewards. The first is an opportunity to quickly arrive at the next destination on your list. The city of Gaoling. I also give to each one of you these two stones. You can use these stones to offer a message, a plea for help to someone living in your realm, to aid you in your endeavor. So this is the last piece of the map, and it is a kind of drawn out picture of a, maze. This is the Yotaku mansion. Bug to that portal. So you guys are all inside the spirit world. Using these stones is better than not using them, right? Getting somebody to help you out is going to be better than not. So who are each of you contacting to assist?
Cameron: I'll bring Sora. That seems like the best possible idea.
Dave: If Brock's bringing a rescue team squad member, maybe I shouldn't say. See if their leader will help. Mayu Yin Yu.
Cameron: I know who I'm gonna summer. He sees his brother, Ember.
Mikayla: Okay. I'm thinking about, my father.
Skylar: and as you guys are making your way along, you see something off in the distance is. Mister Okaron. Mister Okaron. Y'all give him a nice big hug. I've been kind of watching as you guys have made your way through this entire journey. And it's hard to say this, but it's time to say goodbye to each of you. But at least we had a goodbye for real this time. And not a goodbye, or sort of just an ending. An abrupt ending, like we had before. goodbye, everyone.
Cameron: I like to imagine that as all of our comrades pass through the spirit realm. They'll pass a quick pick stop at the blissful brew. They'll get a tea to go, right?
Skylar: Yeah.
Mikayla: Who's making the tea?
Skylar: There's a version of each of you that's running your normal positions, but they don't talk to you. They kind of, like, shadowed, sort of silhouetted. That's creepier. Yeah, it is kind of creepy.
Cameron: It's just a version of ourselves.
Skylar: I feel like you'd walk in there and you'd see that, and you'd be like, nope, never mind, never mind.
Cameron: I turn around.
Skylar: This feels like a spirit trap. You guys step through the portal and find your guys in front, or sort of on the outskirts again, of gowling and standing around you. It's the people that you contacted are right here waiting for you, and they're all kind of. Some of them are even stepping through the portals at the same time that you guys are. But, yeah, there's just a handful of portals that all seem to appear around here. And you guys are there with all of your friends that you contacted.
Mikayla: I'm, gonna give my dad a.
Skylar: Hug, and he hugs you back. Wow.
Mikayla: That's it.
Skylar: Okay, that's good. okay, so, as you guys kind of observe the scene, you look over to the city of gaoling, the place that you have been familiar with for the last at least one year, if not longer, depending on when each of you kind of joined the blissful brew crew. You can see off in the distance, there are signs that point towards things not being right in your city that you are familiar with. there are no earth nation guards, that you can see. I like to imagine that you guys are up on a hill, so you're able to get kind of a nice look over. Over a decent chunk of the city. You don't see the earth nation guards. Instead, those earth
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Skylar: nation guards seem to have been replaced with fire nation guards.
Mikayla: Oh, my goodness.
Skylar: instead of citizens kind of making their way back and forth throughout the city, doing their various business, visiting friends, stopping at the various restaurants and tea shops and everything like that, instead, you see hot leaf juice elites making their way as if they're looking for something or guarding areas, kind of just making, their way back and forth across certain paths. And instead of some of the various other kind of activities and goings ons that you guys are used to, you see a handful of members of the bloody porcupine pirate crew also making their way back and forth throughout the city. The bloody porcupine pirate crew, the ones that you guys got captured by his girlfriend.
Cameron: I'll just saunter up.
Skylar: You don't see her, but you see some of them. You see like maybe one or two, and you're like, wait a minute, I remember that guy from the ship.
Cameron: She's, playing hard to get. I see.
Cameron: Like you say, all this while Sora.
Skylar: Is standing right next to me. Oh, that's right. She just looks sad. Whatever the case, these, you see these things ahead of you and you realize that in some way, Madam Yang seems to have taken over the city of Gaoling in an attempt to stop you using every resource at her fingertips.
Cameron: Disposal.
Skylar: Disposal, also a good word. So your goal now is to get to the maze, find the will and go take it to the mayor's office, which is in the center of town, of course, and have it stamped by Mister Wu, I believe his name was, who approached you at the funeral and told you about the whole situation in the first place. He is kind of that office position, whatever you want to call it, for this kind of thing.
Mikayla: Really not making it easy, I know.
Skylar: But your friends are here to help make it easy, er, easier friends slash family for some of you.
Mikayla: Okay, I'm just gonna start walking towards the maze.
Skylar: Wow, okay. Are you going like around town? Kind of the outskirts before. Okay, all right.
Mikayla: Probably. I mean, I feel like that would be the most discreet jumping on the rooftop. Just kidding.
Skylar: your dad definitely kind of like looks at the rest of you and then follows, and then the rest of you guys are watching as they're kind of headed towards the maze.
Cameron: So Mika's taking the direct approach. Okay, so I catapult us in there. Anyways, anyways, that would be great, actually. Nice throwback for the rest of the new folks here. Hi.
Skylar: They all like, wave. They're all looking at each other kind of like, hello. Shake hands.
Cameron: anyways, our goal is we need to get to the maze. There's a maze in the back of a rich person's house.
Skylar: The.
Cameron: Yotaku. Yep, the yotaku family. There's a maze. We have a map to where the will for a tea shop is in that maze. We're here to save that tea shop, and today's the last day we can save it. If we don't have it turned in by then, we lose possession of it, whatever. That tea shop is very important to the three of. Well, the four of us, but she took off, so. The four of us.
Skylar: I like to think that somebody, I'm not 100% sure necessarily who it is. But somebody shouts up, they're like what? What's so special about this tea shot?
Cameron: Let's just say it means a lot to the four of us. And the man who is running it just passed away.
Mikayla: Passed away?
Cameron: Well, you got killed. No, you got killed. and basically this is our home.
Dave: It's my home, at least.
Cameron: Yeah, it's been my home for still can be, once we save it. so that's what we're doing and well, I guess we all asked you guys to help us, I guess make our way to the maze.
Skylar: there's some short momentary murmurs, but otherwise everybody kind of looks at you and they, they all just kind of. They give you a quick nod of affirmation and then they kind of stand at attention to some extent. m may definitely steps forward and he's like, well, let me ask you this. Where do you, where do you want us? Cuz I'm sure we could just go along with you to this maze.
Dave: Sure.
Skylar: But maybe it'd be even better to go have us maybe stir up some trouble in town or help in a specific way.
Cameron: So I was thinking about it right now, now that I'm seeing everything going on here, but what do you, what do you say Brock and guo to like once we get this will, we're gonna have to take it to that mayor's office. You know if I'm Mister Wu, right? Who's to say madame yang being smart,
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Cameron: knowing we need to get this will damn. Probably put like a bunch of guards right outside that place. So what if we send them to go clear out those guards or find us other way into Mister Woo? Or maybe get Mister Wu out so we can meet him in a separate place or something. Well, if we have them do that for us, I'm good with that.
Dave: Sounds like a good idea.
Cameron: I gotta go crack some skulls, I think.
Cameron: Yeah, I think that's where more people. So I say you three go do that.
Skylar: Okay.
Cameron: I though they don't know where that is.
Skylar: I'm sure we'll find it.
Dave: It's in the center of town.
Skylar: Yeah, the mayor's office.
Cameron: It's like the biggest building in the center of town.
Skylar: Yeah, the big fancy one. I think I could see from here.
Cameron: Yep, that's the one. Yeah.
Skylar: Oh, perfect. All right. All right, you three two, you're with me. And may kind of like leads away and heads into town. the rest of you guys going towards the maze? Yeah. All right, sounds good. So you guys make your way through sort of the outskirts of town. You know that the Yotaku mansion kind of sits on the eastern kind of edge to some extent. Obviously, it's a big house with a big maze and everything like that. All of that kind of comes with having to be on the outskirts. Right? so you are able to get there pretty easily. no problems. But as you guys are going, obviously, you do have a couple of moments where you have to kind of like duck and dodge behind some trees or some bushes or something along those lines, as you guys see, fire nation guards that pass by or kind of peek out from between the buildings on the outskirts of town and so on and so forth. but whatever the case, you guys eventually make it to the Yotaku estate, which, unlike most of town, seems fairly unguarded. Why would anybody send guards up to the wealthy Yotaku family's estate? Who cares? If someone even were to get into town that they didn't want here, who cares? and thankfully, that seems to have been the mindset. So you guys go to the backyard of the. The very large and ornate backyard, well kept, of the Utaku estate. And there is the entrance to the maze, the entrance that bill or ash really, obviously would recognize and that Micah definitely recognizes. Having both gone into the maze itself. Brock also probably recognizes it, having launched his fair share of, hot leaf juice, goods and teas into the very maze.
Mikayla: Just to clarify, I did catch that up on,
Skylar: Yeah, no, that's. That's good.
Mikayla: On the wall.
Skylar: We don't have to do that in game. That's good. all right, so you guys are there in front of the maze, and you've got this map, the pieces of the map all in front of you to show you. Well, really, the one piece of the map is the key one in this situation to get you through the maze to where Mister Okaran hid this map. Or. Sorry, Will, is there any way we.
Cameron: Can launch ourselves right to where the.
Skylar: Map says weird, gives you a map and you say, but can we get a shortcut?
Cameron: Can we just.
Mikayla: We're basically on borrow time right now.
Skylar: Yeah, you guys are on the 7th day at this point. Yeah, just FYI, like, we look up.
Dave: And that moon is awfully close.
Skylar: It's. Yeah, it's right. The day is getting growing late, ever so slowly but surely.
Dave: I was making Majora's mask riff.
Skylar: Oh, okay. Gotcha.
Cameron: I thought it was a, avengers reference.
Skylar: So let's get it real low, buddy.
Cameron: In the movie where Black Widow and Hulk are in love.
Skylar: A weak, real steamy relationship there.
Cameron: All right, let's follow this stupid map.
Dave: So where does this map say it's at? Is it in the center or not in the center?
Skylar: No, it's actually kind of off to a kind, of odd section of the west side of the. The maze. Something that basically was pretty discreet. Nobody. Nobody would look here for any reason. It's just such an odd spot.
Dave: Well, launching ourselves does seem cool, but also sounds like a good way to.
Skylar: Get lost or hot or separate or hurt, or we might want to just.
Cameron: Stay low, otherwise us to where we need to be.
Cameron: No, Brock.
Skylar: that's one. One good. Out of about six baths, we just.
Cameron: Brock, can you not read maps, too?
Cameron: I can't read.
Mikayla: Well, it's just, like, you know, dot, dot, dot, arrow, Xbox.
Cameron: Oh, I can read that. Hey, can I read that? I can read that.
Mikayla: Yeah. Here you go. Yeah, you can be the leader.
Cameron: Well, if I believe you.
Skylar: Could ever make.
Cameron: You'll lead us through the maze.
Cameron: Ah, all right, fine. So let's see.
Mikayla: Okay, wait, wait, wait.
Cameron: What is this maze made? It's just a hedge maze.
Skylar: It's a hedge maze.
Cameron: Just drove running through the hedges.
Skylar: Wait, it's not our hedges.
Mikayla: Who.
Cameron: Why'd you make him leave?
Mikayla: Will is in the maze?
Cameron: Yeah.
Mikayla: Why the heck would he put the will in the maze?
Skylar: Last place anyone would look.
Cameron: Probably buried Mika.
Mikayla: So
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Mikayla: you'd think it would be, like, somewhere important to him instead of some.
Skylar: Random person look in a place that's important to him. They'd be like, all right, what do we know about Mister Okaran? Well, he knows him pretty well. Yeah, she grew up with.
Cameron: She's his ex lover.
Mikayla: Anyway, whatever.
Cameron: Okay, what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna take this map. Okay. Where in the maze does it say this treasure is?
Skylar: So it's, Like I said, it's just kind of in a really odd spot on, like, the western section of the maze.
Cameron: Is it on any edge? Is it somewhere in the middle?
Skylar: Yeah, kind of close to the edge. Like, the far outskirts of it. there's like a. There's sort of, like, a twirl, and it's only, like, partway through the twirl. It's not even, like, at the very center of this little, like, twirl in the hedge. It's just, like, in one.
Mikayla: Can I try to water bend the, plants?
Cameron: Like, take the water out of the plants and make them shrivel?
Mikayla: Well, that, or just, like, just tunnel.
Skylar: My way through that's what I'm.
Mikayla: Shortcut. That'd be disgrace.
Skylar: Okay, okay.
Mikayla: I guess that's fair. But then you probably have more success with that than me. Plant bed.
Cameron: But if I do that, then I'm by myself. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna line it up as close as I possibly can on the x axis.
Skylar: Okay.
Cameron: And I'm literally going to erect some walls and just walk straight. That is my hope.
Cameron: Through the maze?
Cameron: Through the maze. And just.
Mikayla: Well, the walls would. You'd still have the head.
Skylar: What if you made, like, an arrow? Like, if it's like two walls that kind of come together at an angle, and then you just kind of, kind of plow.
Cameron: Plow through, essentially. Make a plow.
Skylar: Right.
Mikayla: Because that's not industry at all.
Cameron: Well, it's effective.
Skylar: Oh, you want to draw attention to the wall. It's like something that you could hold in your hands, and then you could kind of just run through.
Cameron: It's got a giant player.
Skylar: It's a big shield, basically.
Cameron: I like that we have a literal map we could be following, but we're just trying to figure out other ways.
Cameron: Don't say we.
Skylar: We.
Cameron: Me and Mika, I say we just go through the maze. They're not that hard.
Dave: Let me bring up an argument from the past. What if we just walk?
Cameron: Yeah, I like that idea. Actually, we're also in a rush, so let's just run a little if you.
Cameron: Want to be boring.
Skylar: Sure. All right, I'm gonna move this along. You all enter the mains, and following the map, the course of maybe ten minutes, you are able to reach the very spot. And sitting there.
Cameron: Wow.
Dave: How fast was that?
Cameron: That was pretty good time. A lot faster than getting lost by destroying the maze itself.
Skylar: You don't notice it at first, but at a certain point, your foot comes down at a very specific spot, like, pretty much exactly where the x is. Like, if you were to, like, really just zoom into it, this is technically the exact spot that the x is sitting on. Your foot touches it, and you realize that the grass here is turf. It's more just like a turf cover. And it seems to be kind of a little bit off here. Like, it's not fully attached to the ground. It's a little soft, whatever the case. And you lift up, sure enough, it's like a literal cut in the grass, that you can lift up this piece of turf, and underneath there is a box, and you remove that, open the box, and inside is a sort of tall envelope with a fancy string that kind of, like, clasps it closed and you undo that. And inside is a very fancy document on really nice paper, beautiful papyrus type paper, and it outlines Mister Okaron's will, signed, dated, and stamped with whatever the mayoral office of stamp of gowling is, on the piece of paper you have found after all of this time and all this journeying, the will of Mister Oprah. You have proof that shows that you have ownership, or you have been left ownership of the blissful brew. Man, what a twist that would have been. As if you get the will and then it says, I leave everything I own to Mika's fox dog. What? No. it is. It does mention that you guys are to be the owners, basically, co. Four way owners, whatever you want to call it, of, the tea shop and everything inside and all the assets that he left behind, basically. so you have it, you spend another. It probably takes you less time to get out of the maze than it did to get you into the maze. so probably the whole ordeal probably took about 15 minutes. For those that want to rub it in Brock's face or something. but anyways, I can get us.
Cameron: Out of here in 10 seconds.
Skylar: That's true. whatever the case, you guys get to the edge of the maze and you
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Skylar: have the will, and you're good to go.
Cameron: All right, now, time to plow through. Let's do this. I mean, are we trying to be discreet still?
Cameron: Yes. Brock.
Cameron: Why am I even here?
Mikayla: We have the will. Why would we want to draw attention and be like, hey, guys, we have a will. Come and get us once it's too.
Cameron: Late, you know, then you can go beat people up.
Cameron: Oh, my God.
Skylar: You have the will, and you had the way. You don't have to make another way. Oh, I don't know. There's something.
Cameron: Yeah, whatever. I want to beat people up.
Cameron: let's go, and we'll probably see people you can pummel on the way.
Cameron: Okay?
Cameron: That's all I ask.
Skylar: just as you're saying this, as you guys come around the corner of the Yotaku mansion, sure enough, there is a group of four pink dressed, hot, leaf juice elite employees that seem to have just been waiting for you. Hey, everyone. Skylar here. Are you a fan of session zero heroes and the shows we produce or the characters involved? Then you should check out our epic merch we have available online, from shirts to stickers and everything in between. We worked hard on creating a variety of designs and made sure to get your favorite characters on those products, as well. Whether you're looking for broccoli on a hoodie to wear to the gym with you or maybe fizzle fingers tote bag to stuff your ill gotten gains in, we've got you covered. Just head over to our website@sessionzeroheroes.com, and click on our merch tab to see all the amazing products and designs that you can get. Now back to the show.
Mikayla: I'm gonna water slap em.
Skylar: All right, well, if that's the case, we can jump into the combat exchange.
Cameron: So if she's going, I'm going.
Skylar: All right, let's all pick your approaches.
Cameron: I'd like to use my winning is everything, but I should probably hang on to that.
Cameron: I was gonna say you need to hang on to that.
Skylar: Yeah, yeah. I mean, if everybody wants to also roll with it. Just so we have those ready to go. Wow.
Cameron: Wait, we're rolling?
Skylar: Yeah, you might as well just do the roll now and then. That way, we have it. No rerolls. Just roll your dice. No comment. All right, did anybody take defend and maneuver?
Cameron: No.
Skylar: No. All right, we're jumping straight to advance and attack. Who took advance and attack? Me. One, two.
Mikayla: Well, I mean, I'm slapping them all.
Skylar: That sounds like an advance attack for sure. All right, sounds good. Does anyone have a preference on you? Goes first.
Cameron: Well, make it.
Skylar: Did announce it first. Yeah.
Mikayla: Let's go on, bro.
Skylar: Well, all right. What do. What did you roll?
Mikayla: I rolled a. I'm trying to see what I add to it. Hold on.
Skylar: Passion.
Mikayla: I, ah, got an eight.
Skylar: An eight. All right, so you get to use one attack or one option. Basic technique.
Mikayla: I'm gonna strike them.
Skylar: Strike them. all right, use your water. You slash out with them. I'm, striking them all. Forcing. At least, you know, one of them. Technically, it says, foe. So you hit one of them. forcing them to mark two. Fatigue.
Mikayla: Yeah, you know, breaks up the water. You know how that works.
Skylar: Yeah. I'm gonna say that you mark, or they mark to fatigue. I think, we'll just keep things pretty straightforward. You slap him with some water. He feels some pain. He takes a step back.
Mikayla: Maybe he cries for his mom.
Skylar: He cries for his mom. We all know that they've all been taken from, well, the orphanages. Now, I forgot about that. Well, Brock's over there, and he's like, oh, I was thinking about killing him, but, I mean, not the orphans. Not the orphans. All right, with that being said, what are you doing, Brock?
Cameron: I kill him. First off, I rolled an eight.
Skylar: Okay. So you get one move.
Cameron: I will use my earth gauntlet.
Skylar: Oh, okay.
Cameron: Little throwback.
Skylar: Yeah.
Cameron: So I'll go up to, I guess, the biggest one of the bunch.
Skylar: Yeah.
Cameron: I'm just gonna walk up and just wrap my fist with earth and just uppercut.
Skylar: I freaking love that move. It is pretty sick. All right, sounds good. And you're doing a strike, I'm assuming, or no, yours is. Yeah, that's our move.
Cameron: So I mark a fatigue, but I inflict a condition, or two fatigue, and I can also knock them out of reach, but obviously, I don't want to do that.
Skylar: Oh, okay.
Cameron: I mark they either take do fatigue, or they take.
Skylar: Okay, sounds good. let me ask you this. Do you have a preference on which they take?
Cameron: I mean, I would say two.
Skylar: Two fatigue. Okay, so it's the same guy. Two fatigue. Is it the same guy?
Cameron: Yes. well, the biggest of the bunch.
Skylar: So I would say the biggest of the bunch stands in the front, and Mika probably would have slapped him. Okay, so immediately what happens? These four are standing there ready to meet you. They probably got maybe weapons or if they're a benda, whatever the case,
00:25:00
Skylar: they're taking a stance. Mika steps out immediately, just whips one of them with water. Mactuk looks like he's about ready to jump in there and help out, but just before he can, Brock just keeps walking like everybody else, stops as Mika does the whip and everything, and is getting ready. Brock just keeps walking right through, kind of like, pushes through the crowd, scoops up a chunk of rock into his hand or earth, and just uppercuts this dude just knocks him back. I mean, he's, he's, he falls, like, 10ft away from the group, and he's out. He's unconscious. So you guys have, like, three dudes left at this point. Sick. Bill. Ash. Gosh, I'm gonna have to get used to that. Ash, what are you doing?
Mikayla: Should we write it on his forehead?
Cameron: Oh, can I pressure all of them?
Skylar: It says, foe.
Cameron: Well, what I'm doing is I'm just gonna take, I'm gonna walk next to Brock after he completely annihilated a dude, and I'm just going to, like, grip my.
Mikayla: What about me?
Cameron: Anyways? run.
Skylar: Well, I'm gonna guess that. Okay. So the way the pressure works is you're basically saying which of the combat approaches they cannot take next exchange. Yeah, they don't.
Cameron: I don't want them to advance an attack.
Skylar: Okay.
Cameron: Them to. He paid an observer defender manufacturer.
Skylar: Okay, wait.
Cameron: I want them to run, so not advance an attack.
Skylar: Okay, sounds good. whoa, you're taking evade and observe. Okay, sounds good. I would say that they are put off a little bit by the situation, but they take a step back.
Cameron: Right.
Skylar: They're a little bit nervous. but instead of retreating entirely, they are going to bolster or hinder. And the way that. What that looks like is three, or four more step out from the area around the mansion outside, and, kind of join their group, and they feel a bit bolstered by the situation, so. Whoa, what are you doing with your evadent? Observe.
Dave: so I want to test their balance.
Skylar: Oh, okay.
Dave: Then I roll the six.
Skylar: Okay, that's just shy.
Dave: So, what can I do to make that?
Skylar: you can take a fatigue, and you will be able to use one option.
Dave: Okay, so I'll take the fatigue.
Skylar: Okay.
Dave: And then I'm going to test balance. So I take another fatigue, and I'm going to challenge engaged foe's balance. So I turn to them and say, like, what? You guys, give it a rest. What are you even fighting for? You're fighting for this lady sick. She brainwashes children.
Skylar: Well, when you put it that way, they respond, and they say almost at the same time, like in a kind of eerie, creepy. You can tell that they're obviously under her direct hypnotic. Hypnotic control. They say, we serve Madam Yang's orders. Madame Yang said, find the intruders. Kind of came out like a rhyme a little bit.
Dave: So what would be their principle?
Skylar: So their principle, at least under their. Their hypnotic state, is loyalty.
Dave: Loyalty.
Skylar: All right, so with that, they have, like I said, like, three or four, additional members that have just joined them. before you guys all take your next approach, as you guys kind of get your stances ready to get into a slightly larger fight than you were expecting, all of a sudden, an arrow comes flying out from behind you and slams into the ground at the foot of one of these hot leaf juice elites. Not in the foot, just to emphasize. Just like, at the foot. Like a warning shot. No, not Mactuk. Cause he's standing right next to you and he's not holding a bow. you guys turn, and coming out from the mansion are a group of well dressed individuals all wearing masks. And as they kind of come up behind you guys and almost take stances, alongside of you, one of them, who seems to be leading the group, he kind of lifts his mask ever so slightly, and he looks over at ashe, and it is mister Yutaku. And he says, he kind of gives Bill, like, a quick wink, and he says, I said I'd help you out when the time came. So you guys get going and save that tea shop, and I expect you guys to cater my next event.
Cameron: Well, thank you.
Skylar: Yeah, we got your back.
Dave: Sounds like a party. Thanks.
Skylar: And they all have, they all have, like, these kind of, like, really vintage. I say vintage, that sounds archaic. crossbows, like, very early crossbow. I don't know if those were really, like, in avatar. I know everybody had, like, bows, but these
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Skylar: are, like, wealthy people, right? They all, like, have seen kind of the weapons of the future. And even though the weapons of the future aren't, like, how we look at them necessarily, I think there was, like, a really early version of crossbows that could exist. And so that's what they have, right? They all have these, and they're pointing at the hot leaf juice members who immediately are kind of like, oh, we're a bit more outnumbered than we thought. And they look like they're trying to decide, like, how they want to continue. But, whatever the case, they're definitely focused on these enemies at hand, knowing that they obviously can't capture you guys while they're there. And so their focus is now drawn away from you, giving you an opportunity to escape.
Cameron: I say Bill just starts running away.
Skylar: All right, sounds good. Do you guys.
Cameron: Come on, guys, let's go.
Mikayla: Yep.
Skylar: All right, sounds good. You guys run off and you guys head down, into the city of gaoling, headed towards the mayor's office. As you guys are making your way through town, do a, let's say, rely on your skills and training. Just kind of across the board, because you guys are trying to be kind of stealthy, a little bit sneaky, trying, to make sure that you don't alert the various characters that are out.
Cameron: Here, rely on your skills and train.
Cameron: That's old.
Skylar: With what?
Cameron: Creativity.
Mikayla: Focus.
Cameron: Oh, can you be with creativity? Well, then I got a five.
Mikayla: I got a six.
Skylar: Five, six.
Mikayla: It's not a character for the.
Skylar: So you guys are able to bypass a group of fire nation guards, that make their way across. But for the three of you that failed, as you guys are rounding another corner, you kind of find yourselves in a semi alleyway. It's kind of got a narrow exit that'll be difficult to get through, especially when a group of three pirates are standing there guarding it. Of course, of the three that are here, you have Captain Rockfoot, who immediately goes and goes, ah. well, we got lucky, didn't we? with him is first mate Bango, who was my best friend. Yeah, allegedly your best friend. And, of course, the fan favorite deckhand Kalcone, who says, ah, wonderful to see all of you once again. And, of course, Captain Rockfoot kind of, like, punches him in the chest, and he goes, I told you every single time. I handle the initial introductions. But, sir, we have actually been introduced to them once before. We've, seen them actually, a couple of times now. You don't think that I am aware of that? Just shut up, you big oaf. Anyways, you kids know that you're quite outmatched, so it would be in your best interest to just come with me quietly. I don't want to alert anybody else to your presence. You don't want to alert anybody else to your presence? And if I am the one that takes you straight to Madame Yang myself, I'm the one that gets the cash. But I'll have to tie you up, of course.
Mikayla: You actually think we're gonna come with you? What a joke.
Skylar: I was really hoping you'd make it easy on me.
Mikayla: Absolutely not.
Skylar: well, you're definitely gonna have to fight, then.
Mikayla: I am a water slap him.
Cameron: Cool.
Skylar: Mika runs into every situation. Water slap water. You like that video?
Mikayla: What I do with my little thing of water?
Skylar: I mean, you're making a good point.
Cameron: We never learned any other moves throughout the campaign.
Dave: I was gonna say, all right, let's. Let's make this.
Mikayla: I'll make this one pack of puffs.
Dave: Set down the hats, huh? And walk away.
Skylar: We.
Dave: No one has to get hurt.
Skylar: Hats? Wait a minute. You must have been the one that stole my fancy hat, which makes him.
Mikayla: The captain, which means we don't have to listen to you and either do your little doo buddies.
Cameron: That's pirate code.
Skylar: That's part of the code.
Mikayla: Yep.
Skylar: He wasn't just my captain. that was my captain's hat. Exclusively for weddings, which I don't wear.
Mikayla: Often took a wedding hat, which means wow's the,
Cameron: Wow.
Mikayla: Whoa. Captain.
Cameron: At weddings, we don't have a wedding.
Mikayla: And your little duck swabbers don't have to listen to you, either.
Skylar: Captain Rockfoot kind of like, solidifies his foot into his, you know, rock foot that he has into the rock below him, and he kind of leans forward and he says, well, I'm wearing my hat.
Mikayla: Captain hat.
Skylar: Where's yours?
Mikayla: And then I water slap him.
Skylar: this feels a little outside of combat. Just do it. Just do a quick. Rely on your skills and training. Or maybe even push your luck. Yeah, do a push your luck.
Mikayla: Okay.
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Mikayla: Seven. Ah.
Skylar: Seven. Okay. Mixed success. You are able to slap him in the face, but you see that bongo is at the ready. And he kicks up a, chunk of rock that comes flying towards you and hits you in the shoulder, giving you a fatigue.
Mikayla: And that's when my dad says, not my favorite daughter.
Skylar: not my favorite and only daughter. And he leaps forward and slams his fist into the face of broccoli. No, I'm totally. I heard that you impregnated travels. Yeah, we're travels. No. He slams his fist into bongo. and he kind of looked back, looks back at you guys, and he says, going without me. I'm gonna finish these pirates off myself. You guys have something more important to do?
Mikayla: I'm gonna say, aye, aye, captain, and give him a wing.
Skylar: Her dad, Mac took. Yeah. oh.
Cameron: Okay.
Skylar: I was doing a little bit of a gruff voice, and that kind of sounded like the captain. The captain just starts fighting. You guys get out of here. I'm gonna hold them off. They're like, we're not even doing anything unless you tell us to.
Dave: This be a mutiny.
Skylar: I got a captain. Whoa.
Cameron: Can you imagine how crazy of a.
Skylar: Twist that would be if the captain commits the mutiny? We should write a screenplay, guys, on.
Mikayla: Our next one shot.
Skylar: Yeah, the pirate captains commit mutant.
Cameron: All right, let's just make a break for it again.
Skylar: Once again, you guys make a break for it. thankfully, this time, this alleyway has put you very close to the mayor's office, which is what you are trying to achieve. you can see it just in the distance, but as you approach, and you kind of, again, ducking and diving between the various buildings and houses and businesses, you guys see that? Sure enough, you are right in your assumption. There are a lot of guards outside of this space.
Mikayla: Brock, tunnel your way, I get bugs bunny my way.
Skylar: okay, but the mayor's office is kind of like a metal building, I'd imagine. Or it has elements of metal in them. And so you can tunnel underneath, but there might be a foundation. Does it have metal floors, maybe wood or wood floors?
Cameron: Well, this is.
Mikayla: I can break out times they have.
Cameron: Dirt floors if I can break through, like, solid stone. I feel like woods breaking.
Skylar: Yeah, that's true. you guys, see this whole situation, and all of a sudden, you see Mayu yin. You kind of come stepping out very confidently towards some of the guards. And he starts playing a song. And he's like, hey, check me out. Check me out over here.
Cameron: Look at this.
Skylar: And he's playing this little song, and the guards, I mean, it's like the. The british royal guard. I mean, these guys, they don't even blink. they are. They are giving you nothing. And he's trying everything. And then, you know, maybe Sora comes out and she's. She starts going like, oh, look at me. I'm a, rescue team squadron member. You guys are totally after me. Nothing. These guys just stonewall. Ember. Ember comes out and he's kind of just like, I don't really know how to contribute to this, but, I'm an annoyance. I'm causing a scene. I'm causing a public disturbance. Guys, I don't think these guys care. And they're all doing all their goofy, jittery stuff. and it's not really working. maybe they're catching the attention of. Maybe one of the pirates. The other pirates is walking by, and he stops and he's like, what is this? This is ridiculous. and, like, maybe a couple of hot leaf juice. People walk by and they're trying to get their attention to, like, tell them to go away. We're trying to conduct some kind of search or something like that, you know, just yelling at them. whatever the case, you guys, here kind of nearby, down kind of another dark alley here, over here. Hey.
Dave: Who'S there?
Skylar: And, peeking around the corner, you can just barely see Chicra, my bfF. Yeah. Your relationships gonna change now that your dad's back?
Mikayla: He died. I said we don't have a good relationship.
Cameron: Oh, yeah?
Skylar: Your dad's not with you right now?
Mikayla: What a schmuck, you know, leaving his daughter to fend for herself.
Skylar: A great opportunity to have your dad with you when you run into Chicra again.
Mikayla: Okay, I run over to Chicra.
Skylar: Oh, wow. You're excited. Okay. Just, like, the friendship level that I just did not expect to have been reached by you two in such a short amount of time, and the fact that
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Skylar: she was literally your enemy and you guys got in a big fight.
Cameron: a lot happened in the short period.
Mikayla: She doesn't remember. Brock threw her through a wall. She doesn't remember a lot of memories.
Cameron: Last thing she remember was the night before at the party.
Cameron: Oh, what's your favorite thing?
Cameron: That was really nice.
Skylar: Yeah, we both hated our dad.
Mikayla: The last thing she saw was me standing next to her. And then all of a sudden, nothing.
Skylar: Was just a blur. whatever the case, as you rush over there, you come around the corner, and you see she's there, as well as the big giant guy, and the kind of scrawny dude with some sort of back problem, who. He was kind of whiny and annoying before, but all three of those, or those three are there. the only person you don't see is the, the leader. The kind of rockabilly hair, wooden katana guy. And chica's like, hey, I saw you guys having some issues over there, trying to get. Are you guys trying to get in the mayor's office or something?
Mikayla: Ah, yeah, absolutely. We were trying to do that.
Skylar: Okay. so you guys are probably in a hurry.
Mikayla: Are you saying there's a secret tunnel?
Skylar: No, there's not a secret tunnel.
Mikayla: Okay.
Skylar: I was gonna give you guys a full rundown about how, like, we got rid of the leader dude. I don't remember what his name was. we got rid of him. I took over. I'm trying to, like, rebrand our image, you know, not try to, like, take care or take advantage, of local businesses and stuff like that anymore. Kind, of more going for, like, a community help bond. I don't know. Things have just kind of changed and stuff since you guys disappeared and felt kind of bad when, the old guy that we were, we were getting money out of died. That really sucked. so just kind of felt wrong.
Mikayla: You don't have to tell me about that.
Skylar: Yeah. So, anyway, we want it. We want to help. Needless to say, we want to help. So, I. So my dad's office is also in there. And so sometimes when I wanted to, like, sneak out of there, I would just. There's like a. There's like, a rope. It's like a clothesline that I stole from my house, and I connected it, and she points up, and sure enough, up above you, there's sort of a spire that comes off of the mayor's office and attaches to a chimney, coming off of a nearby business building. She's like, it's. I mean, it's a little bit of a delicate situation. I handle it just fine.
Mikayla: It's okay. This guy I point to, guo, he was in the circus, so.
Skylar: Oh, yeah. Okay.
Mikayla: He, he probably can do that. Easy peasy.
Skylar: Yeah.
Cameron: Trapeze.
Skylar: Guo.
Mikayla: tightrope dabbled.
Skylar: He dabbled. That's more than most can say.
Cameron: He dabbled.
Mikayla: Otherwise, I was gonna say we could try to touch the soldiers, because that, took them out of the trance at the factory.
Skylar: But these are fire nation soldiers.
Mikayla: Okay. So, yeah, type rope it is.
Skylar: I mean, you don't have to, like, walk across it like a tightrope.
Mikayla: I mean, zip line it. You got it, girl.
Skylar: Yeah, you. I mean, yeah. However you feel. I don't know about zipline, but you could probably, like, swing across in a sense or something. I don't know. Anyway, but, yeah. Yeah. and they lead, you over to a section wherever they've kind of, or at least maybe she has in the past, stacked up, like, a whole bunch of boxes and crates, so that she can get up alongside the wall of this building and onto the rooftop. And then from the rooftop, she's able to get over to the rope itself. So you guys follow along. And as you guys approach the rope, I'm going to have you guys push your luck. Except for Guo, since he does have experience with it, I will let him do rely on his skills and training.
Cameron: What do we roll?
Cameron: Push your luck with, passion. Push your luck.
Skylar: Yep. Passion.
Cameron: Ten.
Skylar: Nice. Okay. Nine. Nine. All right.
Mikayla: Seven.
Skylar: All right.
Dave: Nine.
Skylar: Nine. Okay. Sounds good. Okay, so, Brock, you, since you got a perfect success, how do you, like, easily make your way across this tightrope situation?
Cameron: I'm thinking Brock takes a bit of earth and kind of forms himself a little. A little triangular bar.
Skylar: Oh, okay.
Cameron: Like a little triangle. And he just kind of hops on and zip lines across.
Skylar: Zip lines across.
Cameron: And Brock, being the forward thinker he is, did not make any for the others to use.
Skylar: He made it across. He's like, these things are great. They're, like, cool. I mean, I guess I've got one.
Cameron: And then Bill just.
Cameron: Oh, yeah.
Cameron: He tosses his bo staff over, and he jumps after him. It's a little more clumsier because it's a. As a stick and not like a triangle, but he makes himself across, too.
Cameron: I guess Guo could also use that because he is also an earthbender.
Skylar: Okay, so, Bill, you hop up with your stick, and as you're going, what happens is that your stick starts to kind of, like, lean. Like, it's just not a perfect balance the whole way across. and at some point, you. You are so far over on one side that it starts to scrape your hand as you're kind of ziplining across. so you're gonna take one. Fatigue done. since it. Yeah, it's.
Cameron: I've been through worse pain.
Skylar: All right, sounds good. So your arm or your hand is a little bit sore. By the time got a little bit of like a kind
00:45:00
Skylar: of a rug burn or rope burn. but otherwise, I mean, you've made it across. Micah, you also got a seven. Seven. So imperfect. how are you going across this?
Mikayla: monkeying it.
Skylar: Monkeying it. Okay, so I think similar situation as you're going across, you, just, you know, the muscles in your arm and so on and so forth. You know, it's like, going across the monkey bars as an adult, and you're like, man, I haven't done this in forever. And when I was a kid, I had, like, no weight that I had to lift as I was going across. so you also take a fatigue as you get to the end, and you are just kind of exhausted. Your arms are all, you know, jelly and stiff and all this other stuff, they're really sore, so you'll do that. And then, Guo, you also had a seven to nine, right?
Dave: Yep.
Skylar: Okay. how are you going across this? Are you doing the full walk across like a tightrope?
Dave: Yeah, I'm going to try to walk across.
Skylar: Okay. you start to go across and you're almost to the end, and then all of a sudden you kind of lose your balance a little bit. It's been a while since you've done this. you're just barely able to catch yourself. but the whole thing is kind, of terrifying. And I'm going to have you, Mark, was it afraid? Is that one of your conditions?
Dave: Yeah.
Skylar: Okay. I'm gonna have you, Mark, afraid as you kind of look down below you and see how far up that you are. and it just kind of leaves you as you. You're able to make your way across. And your friends kind of help you, grab you at the end and kind of pull you over. but it's kind of left you with that kind of anxiety. your heart's beating really fast and it's just kind of left you with a, wow, that was really close. I could have just died right there. kind of situation. But whatever the case, you guys have made it across. And you guys can, open the window to the mayor's office and you can hop down into sort of like a common room with, like, hallways, that lead to the various offices. There doesn't seem to be any guards or soldiers inside of this building. So you have an opportunity to try to find Mister Wu's office and navigate there from this point.
Cameron: Okay, look for Mister M. Wu's office.
Skylar: All right. So you guys hop down you're making your way through the offices. I don't know if any of you have really ever been to the mayor's office or had need to go to the mayor's office, in the time that you've been here at Gowling. But, eventually it's got one of those signs on the wall that's like Mayor Wu or, no, not Mayor Wu. He's over in Qin village or whatever. M just like all these different individuals with little numbers next to their names to show which offices they're in or which floor they're on. And eventually you're able to find Mister Wu's office and you open the door.
Mikayla: And freaking Madame Yang.
Skylar: Inside, there are two chairs seated, in the office, their backs turned towards you. And as you step inside, the familiar faces of Madame Yang and General Wang long turn to greet you with snooty smiles. in front of them is a large, you know, nice, ornate sort of government desk. And behind that, tied to a chair, is Mister Wu, who you recognize from the funeral, the guy that you need to officiate this certificate, this will. And Madame Yang turns and she says.
Mikayla: Well, it looks like I owe you some money, general long. I truly didn't think this group of bumbling children would make it here after all. And yet here they stand. But rather than ask how you kids manage to pull off such a stunt, I think the more important question is, what are you going to do now?
Skylar: Hey, everyone. Skylar, the game master for benders and brews and the creative director over at Session Zero Heroes here. I just wanted to give you a quick outro before you head over to the next episode or call it a day. Firstly, thank you so much for listening to our show. It means so much to us to have such amazing people like yourself that enjoy the content that we produce. Without you, there really wouldn't be much point in all the work that we put into recording, editing, and sharing our TTRPG sessions with all of you. With that being said, we would love it if you would throw some love our way and drop us a review or a rating or whatever it is called, wherever you're listening to the show, based on whatever platform that allows you to leave reviews and leave recommendations. It means a lot to us to get to hear why you love the show we make. And it also helps the show reach other listeners as well, allowing us to grow our community. So if you're feeling especially generous, you could even go as far as to share our show to your friends and family who also enjoy TTRBG actual Plague podcasts. It's really expensive for us to be able to advertise and we don't do much of it, so it's a lot more help to have you guys share it with people that you know will enjoy it and then they can join in the community that we're creating
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Skylar: that would make you a session zero hero yourself. And additionally, we'd love to have you stop by on one of our various social platforms and interact with the channel. There you can find session Zero Heroes on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Discord. We post all sorts of updates, clips, and even the occasional behind the scenes look at what we're up to. And if you're ever looking for information on SZH or you don't use a podcast streaming site but you want to listen to our shows, you can do so by checking out our website at session zeroheroes.com. and while you're there, you can find out about the cast and the crew that make our show and provide the players voices in all of our various series. And if you're feeling especially cheeky, you can check out our merch store where we have a ton of designs and products to choose from, all of which help us pay the bills and keep the lights on. So once again, thank you all so much for listening. And remember to stay curious, stay heroic until we roll again.
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