Welcome back everyone. It's been a long hiatus, but we're back at it. This next part is actually the last part of the season. There are two reasons we're releasing them all at once. For one, after a year with no episodes, I didn't feel like stringing some of the episodes along, you know, in a weekly fashion or anything like that. But most importantly, this part this last part has a very lengthy diversion within it and it is probably best binged and not strung along weekly because of that. The diversion within this part is covered in the episodes labeled Intermezzo One and Two, and they are longer than usual, representing whole sessions. I won't spoil anything yet, but they are quite deliberately different. But they do eventually tie back into our story, so don't worry. I'd like to invite you to come discuss as you're listening on our new discord channel. We've now joined a discord called The Actual Place, a home for Actual Play TTRPG podcasts for both their creators and their listeners. Just make sure that you use spoiler tags when discussing any spoilery stuff. We're on the channel name givers and you can find the link to that discord in the episode. Notes and another note we had some technical issues with microphones and some of these recordings, so I've edited things as clearly as I could and made use of some repair tools and in some extremely important circumstances I did do some rerecording. If you enjoy the show, rate review and most importantly, share with others. 1879 is a very niche system. It is a limited audience to appeal to by system alone. We enjoy making it and look forward to bring you even more in the future. With a now complete season, this is a great time for new listeners to join in because you're going to get a full story out of it. Now on to the show. Please enjoy.
Bonjour dear listeners. This is Bonyards and Boojams, an 1879 RPG actual play. Podcast, part five convergences. Madame Trufini, I have translated the document you have provided. There is one word which will be obvious that I could not find a suitable translation for. What follows is a translation from the original French rent a room at Le Oos Enfere in the Falgia District Browdy Dwarf Bar light two candles and place them outside your window at 10:00 p.m. For an hour. Around midnight, enter beneath the extra wide garden cellar doors behind building at 43 ru bossaned use the Yali behind to access best to do at night. The tunnels can be a bit tight but can support a large cart and small horses for transporting the goods. Follow tunnels east, important to take the east route at each intersection or fork. Once under Val de Grace you will find a door of bones on the south side of an extra wide hallway. You will need someone with the sight to pass through some obstacles there, such as special locked doors. Be warned that you may encounter some hostile spirits. We do not have full control over the energies of this place. Going with escort is highly advised. The sea, a dog does not typically meet with the Earthkind. Their proxy will be there to greet you and procure the goods at the eight Directions exchange. Chapter One expedition.
So when we start with Amos, what's Ammo's been up to in the last, I don't know how many weeks? Phoenix.
Yes. He has been working in his shop, diligently creating a new lovely, lovely piece of work named Street Sweeper.
That's not ominous.
It is his new Bespoke shotgun.
The scatter shot just goes yes, because.
Apparently in 1879, which makes sense, shotgun is a cone of damage.
Okay.
So it will be great for clearing out small areas.
That makes sense. That's why it's called a shotgun.
That is why it's called Street Sweeper, because it's going to sweep the sweeper streets.
I like it.
The other thing he was going to do was he was going to create some explosives, which I haven't done yet.
So is there anything particular you're looking to make or do you have a skill for that?
Yes, chemistry.
Okay. Do you want to make a role on that just to see how that goes? I mean, you got a few weeks that you got time to redo, but it would be nice to know whether you blew up your workshop doing it or not. Yeah.
I think due to almost being rather cautious in such endeavors, he will probably have a little shed built out back for it.
Okay. He doesn't want to be in the shop. That's probably within your income range to do something like that. Yes. I don't think that's a problem. You're the most well off of anyone, I think.
Yes.
In the group there is step eleven.
Yeah. I mean, Jacob might be second, but that's only because his grandfather is well off.
Yeah, it's by proxy.
Well, not a crit. That's good.
Four. Yeah, not great.
Wow.
Someone'S coming out with a cinched beard.
Yeah.
To be fair, this is him experimenting. He hasn't done this before.
So yeah. Four, five and six. Oh, my God. You just keep rolling fours. This is not a typical no rolling either, so that's obvious.
Couldn't remember if that worked or not.
Wow. So you got ranges from four to six on that, I would say. What's the typical explosive range?
Like, target number is ten. So I'm about half.
Okay, I see. So there's a target number you have to hit and then there we go. Yeah. So you got one. So what's the type of explosive? Need some kind of consequence for the other multiple failures.
I'm just going to bring it up here. Step twelve, damage and a step five area of effect outside the immediate blast area.
All right. And are these like dynamite?
Sure.
Okay. Just wondering what the form is or is this like cartoonish 19th century bombs that you roll.
Actually, hold on, the round bomb with the views?
Yeah, sorry, I was using the volatility.
Target number jack me stamped on the side.
Exactly.
The volatility number is the one that by setting it off by accident.
Okay. That's why I was wondering, is there a target number or is that just.
A quality level target number? Seven.
Oh, okay.
I'm not that far off.
All right, so you had an extra success on the one you did eventually make. I would say maybe with those other failures, maybe what? Whatever you think it costs to build a shed, double that because you just had repairs and go through whatever it costs for materials, obviously there's going to be a lot more cost to that. So I would say take down your amount of money you got hanging around and a few eyebrows.
Fair enough. Perfect.
What is the shape of the explosives, by the way? Because I'm curious if they are a little tiny bulbs, bombs or tactics?
I don't think he's going to even be that. Yeah, he's just going to have it shaped into, like, a brick.
So they're kind of like C four bricks, but not C four bricks, but.
Not C four bricks.
Yeah.
They're not old styles, not going to be very big. They're going to be fairly small because they need to fit inside those things that we found before, the weird things.
Okay, all right. And how many does that make when you get the extra success?
With the extra successes, I can decrease volatility. That's no fun. Or it looks like you can either have a plus two to the effect, which would be 14 damage, or you can make a little bit more of it, which I think I'll do.
Yeah. Okay. How much does it generally make?
Not for one use, so I guess it can be two.
Okay. One for success. So you got two of those. That sounds reasonable. Is there anything else you're researching or anything? Because you had that letter that you guys found that got translated, say maybe Doctor Winter translated it for you on the side.
That sounds good. It was just basically instructions on how we were supposed to drop things off, right?
Yeah. So these are instructions you found of where these suits that were being built need to be taken and how you get there. Not much about why, though.
I'm okay with that. I have no intention of them reaching their destination.
And the other thing is, in general, I guess maybe from Amos's perspective, what's your plan with these suits and the whole Paris thing?
I'm basically going to pack the explosives somewhere that I can somewhere hidden underneath that I can basically blow them up if I need to, preferably inside one of the crates on the near the bottom. And basically I just want to have a striker plate somewhere that if I decide that I want to blow it up, I just kind of strike the plate and it blows the whole way.
Through. Your mutual contacts offers to get you transportation across to Paris by airship, of all things. Private airfield. Woo.
I like it.
Don't want anybody coming across what you're doing. So figured safe airfield on the east coast, not too far from Two Tree Island is what they arrange.
Does it actually mention how they were going to get them over there in the first place?
No, that's something you didn't discover.
Fair enough.
They may have been doing the same thing. They may have had ships, something else, I don't know.
Okay. Yeah. As far as Amos is concerned, it's carry on like they expect and see what happens.
Okay, I'm going to go over to Jackabee. Last time you got correspondence about Huerko, Ochio, and I'm just curious if that's something over the weeks you might be looking into.
Certainly.
All right.
I'm trying to remember what Huerto is, but Ocho is eight.
Well, I'll get you to maybe do maybe just tell me first, like, if you're going to look into this more, where would you go? What would you do?
Well, my first thought is that I would probably would I know what it actually translates to into English because I am from America, I am a cowboy, so I've probably dealt with Mexicans and Spaniards. So yeah, I might know a little bit of the language.
I just, you know, a raw perception.
A raw perception.
Actually roll reed write language. I'll just put it as a higher difficulty number. Okay. That would actually be a more appropriate thing. I think you have brief contact with that language. Like everybody has brief contact with some other language beyond their own. Okay, yeah. Nine is enough to I would say it's not that taxing for Jacoby to go find a Spanish English dictionary just because you had that hunch of like, you've seen Huerto, I think you've seen Ochio somewhere. So on the nine. Yeah. Spanish does have these words. There is werko which can be kid, it can be also devil, though there may also be some other meaning you're just not aware of, actually. Okio is occhio. So you're looking at that and going, that's not Spanish. Maybe the weirko isn't Spanish either. Or maybe it's just a related language. Maybe it's another romance language. I think that's a reasonable thing you could come to.
Wow. All right, so if that's the case, I would probably go to one of my learned companions to go, I'm trying to figure out what this word is so I can figure out these words are so I can figure out what we might be getting into. Now the question is, do I go to Madame Traffini or do I go to Amos?
Well, in this case, just to remind you, the player as well too. This isn't necessarily related to your current thing with the Ossuarium and all that because this came from a different tangent came from that weird dream you had and they delivered on a promise and it was in theory, related to your checking into hey, how can I deal better with this half length to my life type of thing? Your midlife crisis at 20 kind of thing.
I mean, fair, okay. It's dealing with a personal issue. I would still check in with one of my more my learned colleagues because sticking point, I think it would make.
Sense to maybe introduce metamorphini at that point for this. Maybe you're at her what's it called? Is it the shop? Not shop.
It's her parlor.
Parlor. That's it.
She's a parlor. She is currently, like, just sitting at like she's actually in the front room, like, in that sort of front first room that people see. The the more shop room with all the sort of chatch key and bits and bobs. And when Jacobi enters, he would actually see some pieces he recognizes from their current adventures together, mixed in amongst other bits and bobs of fortune telling and spirits and things like that that are probably most of them not really real, but there are a few. And he would also see the crystal ball that he knows is real on the table. And she has a spread of tarot of six cards laid out before her that she's sort of looking over when the bell when the door opens. A little bell sort of thing.
Born madam. Having trouble finding out what's happening in the future?
Not at all. Not at all. How are you, Jacobi?
Well, to be honest, I'm at a bit of a sticking point.
How can I help you?
Well, long story short, I got a missive that had a couple of words that I thought were Spanish but torn. I'm thinking there might be another related language, but screw me if I know. And he puts the missive out, and it's these two words here.
She blinks a few times just at his choice of words and then affixes her, sort of adjusts her little wire rimmed glasses before looking down to look at the words, just to see if by any chance she knows them. She doesn't really speak any other languages, but again, she may have had random encounters with bits and bobs of them.
I could have been a bit more crass, but you are a lady, so I am trying to be gentlemanly about things.
I appreciate your attempts.
Your missive was more of a kind of manuscript bound writings of horsetorical places of power and also detailing various historical artifacts that may have some spiritual and magical qualities. The reason I bring this up is that Madam Trifini, maybe you can do a role in a cult here.
Okay, I will do that. Let me just see where's the cult got a whole four.
So, I mean, you can see clearly what's in this guidebook. If you were to lap through it on a four, though, you're kind of like, I don't know, definitely some kind of Latin related language. It's not something that sticks out to you right now, but maybe check with a nearby library, university, something like that. Do some reading.
That was step two.
You could probably go and do some reading. It might be sort of Latinish.
I figured it was some kind of related romance language.
Sorry, it's not my field of expertise, really?
No tort mine either, but I figured either you or Amos might have an idea of what's going on here. But thank you kindly, Annie.
Of course. Of course.
He takes it back and just shoves it away. Looking a little put out.
And while we're at that, what was met in Trafficking been up to the.
Last few weeks, one of the main things she wanted to do was actually be doing some research on the correspondence they got.
Okay.
Because in the correspondence there was something most of it was fairly straightforward, but just at the end there, the theog dark does not typically meet the Earth kind, so she kind of is curious about that particular word there. Theog dark. She doesn't recognize it and might be important to find out about.
Sounds like Jacob and Madame Truffini might have a joint session at the library for this.
Yeah. Again, that is not a word she recognizes.
It is like you want to head down to the local knowledge repository and maybe lunch afterwards. My treat.
I'll have both of you role research, if you have it.
Sure, I have it.
And perception, if not, I don't. Now met on traffic. Since you have it, you can in theory help out Jacob, his role, if you want.
Okay, yes, I would absolutely do that.
Okay. Let's do first mediterraphini's. Normal.
Normal one. Okay. We'll start with Jackie.
Just roll. Well, if he just rolled the outright okay, so Jack could be going to set actually, if you are going to help out, though well, no, let's leave it at this because I'm sure Jack could be the type who would first do his thing, and if he can't succeed, then maybe he would get some help. So seven, that's actually pretty good success there. It doesn't take very long for you to be a librarian who is immediately like, yeah, that looks like Italian. Probably. What you're looking at is probably something on the side of eye of the devil or eye of the child or I of something. And they do say, though, that while they're not up to date on their lingo in Italian, there's also a possibility that it may be a boojum term, too.
Now, interesting. I'm going to ask for a map.
A map of where?
A world map. I would say perhaps some kind of nautical map that would dictate where, say, maybe giant whirlpools or storms are known to pop up something that looks like an i.
Okay, yeah. You said you're looking to buy one or just find one.
Just researching one. We're at the library, so I'm sure they have yeah.
Rural research. Obviously it's going to be just straight perception for Jacob.
Yeah.
All right, so another seven. So while you can find nautical maps here, you're not a navigator of any kind, you're not skilled, and those kinds of things, most of the things that are tools and stuff like that are coming from kind of old legends and just little decorations on maps, dragons kind of thing.
Well, considering boughems are a thing now, that may actually bear fruit, and I, and thus Jacob, realize that probably not just nautical. If it's a place of power or where things like ley lines converge, this child's eye or eye of the devil could be landbound too.
Possibly. So why don't we get Madame Traffini next working up the AG dark.
Yep.
However, that's pronounced eleven. Okay. Target would be six. So that's one extra success. So yeah, it's slightly more obscure knowledge. The okay. Even on an extra success, you're not necessarily nailing down a specific language or origin, which actually to you tells you this is a fairly new term. It may be something that is, I guess, for you, what's telling is that you can't find this word anywhere.
Okay.
And that's where the extra success lies. That this must be something new or novel or undocumented.
Okay. Because we've got a couple of weeks right. For this research. Then she'd probably go to other, like sort of try to find like some other boojum who are sort of the knowledgeable types. Not like just like a gun slinger type.
Okay, so rolls may be street wise.
Shoot, that's okay. I don't have a street wise, but I've got hegel and bribery.
So I would go with your raw charisma.
Raw charisma? Okay. That is not my strongest step. Five. But I can try. Yeah, you got a four.
Yeah. You got a lot of weird looks and people are just like no, it's not a slang term that you can find anywhere. Yeah, nothing like that.
Then if she basically starts to meet dead ends, she would just move on because she's not going to beat a dead horse. She was also doing some stuff to try to get the crystal ball more closely attuned to this timeline since it's in the wrong timeline.
Oh, right. Okay. So are you going to keep that at the shop or are you going to bring it with you to Paris?
She would be bringing it with her to Paris because she doesn't want to leave it behind too much.
Is there anything that you folks want or need to do in London before you head off?
Buy some armor. But I can just do that through the book.
Yes, you can get some book stuff. What is it, like cotton flap jacket, stuff like that?
No, I'll just look and see.
Okay. You don't need to stay at it right now.
Okay. We can go through so that I actually have armor on for the first time ever.
Yeah. You have something when you go into dangerous situation, for one.
Yeah.
Okay. Because you kind of know where you're going. Could have some danger involved. Certainly.
So maybe I should actually apparently I have a ballistic vest that I've never put on.
There you go. Maybe that'll work. We will fast forward into you're basically given train tickets again to get across to the East Coast to get onto an airship. It's not really booking passage. This may be a private vessel owned by your patron, A. Gifford, and this is just a kind of airship. Not huge. So you got a bit of wind and stuff, but not terribly small either. Not cramped at all. Anybody afraid of heights or anything like that?
Yeah, Madam Trifuni would be terrified of that.
Okay. So she'd probably stay below decks as well.
And if she has to be above decks, she clings to whichever of her companions is closest.
Nice.
And if neither of them are close, she'd probably just grab hold of somebody else.
Or something.
Jacob would make sure he avails himself for Madame Traffini's clingage because he understands the fear and everything. So he ain't going to make light of this situation.
And Amos will be like, trying to figure out how it works and checking out the engineering on it and being raptured.
And you've been given a name of a contact and direction to get to Troll de Grenelle. You're not given much more information than that, other than it's a brassman and someone who might be able to look at the items suits and figure out what's going on. Maybe. Or at least he knows Paris pretty well. At least that's what Willy thinks, I'm sure. Fee, you're going to do a little bit of scrying of the orb of the crystal ball?
Yes.
She would like to try using the crystal ball here.
Okay. So that'd be a raw perception, I think.
Okay.
I think there might be strain involved. I can't remember. So point of strain.
Okay.
Would it make sense?
I think perception. That's seven and whoa.
21. Okay.
I think I made the work.
That's a really good one. What are you looking for in general?
I mean damn.
Currently right now with the orb, she would be looking in to sort of see what may happen in what will happen in the mines because they're going or sorry, in the tunnels. Just going back to the correspondence to see.
Okay.
Because we're going under Val de Grace, there'll be a bone of doors to the south asteroid hallway. Someone with the site just to sort of look and see. She actually might be using it to sort of look for the theo. Goodarg. Because this is all part of what they're about to go do. Sort of what lays in weight beneath beneath Valdegrace in the tunnels.
Interesting. So I think I want you to roll Willpower as well.
Okay.
Target number five. I will roll a small thing. You take another point of strain.
Okay.
And you feel a little bit of a vertical sensation because you do have that kind of fear of heights. But you get kind of over it pretty quickly just because of your focus on this thing. Because as you're using Blessing crystal ball, the airship kind of disappears around you briefly, which is a little scary for a half second.
Yeah.
If anybody happens to wander, like, come by where she would be sitting, they would just hear those little not a very dwarf like sound from this heavily.
Bearded dwarven woman, Jessica Bezel. You'll get used to it, don't worry. To Madame Traffini.
Yeah. Oh, that's funny. And you're able to kind of kind of fast travel over to Paris, which you recognize from maybe some illustrations you've seen and maybe some what are they called? Lithiographs.
Okay.
Lithographs. Maybe that's it. Early photography. Yeah.
Lithographs.
Yeah. Early photography kind of stuff. And you're then image of tunnels underground. That where all the walls are made. They appear to be made of skulls, but they're probably just adorned of skulls. You think it's just all skulls everywhere.
Okay.
And as you weave your way through there, you are noticing that there is a bit of a flicker on and off of two different possibilities, two different realities. You're not sure which one of which. There's really nothing in the direction you're going. It's like old tunnels that have been sealed, that have collapsed sections, like you're going through what looks to be a collapse of rock and dirt. Okay. But then blink and note there that's cleared. There is some supports built here and leads into, eventually down a lot of tunnels that go deeper and deeper. And when you switch between the two realities, one reality is that you're really just underground dirt and there's nothing you could see. And the other, there's a tunnel that seems fairly newish, and it ends in a large cavern where on the far side of the wall, you see what you think is glass, but you realize pretty quickly it's actually a shimmer of water is one of the walls. And this is like yards high, so maybe ten yards high. It's just a wall of water on the other side. It's kind of got this dark quality behind the water, but you can tell it's water because it's kind of got that bluish tinge, as if there's light coming somewhere above and then everything just cuts out for you at that point.
Okay.
There was figures there and stuff there, but you just probably too, I don't know, amazed at the wall of water.
Yeah. So there were figures but unable to really see them.
Yeah, you weren't focused on that. It was a big cavern, though.
Okay.
So anyway, here's water wall.
Well, you seem to be working a little better now until, like, cloth over the orb again as she sort of passes it gently. Thank you, dear.
You all right there, Mr. Feeney?
Yes, I just was seeing if I could get any sights towards what is awaiting us in the tunnels. Fair enough. Was able to see a bit of both possibilities sounding like something spooked you.
There for his SEC.
Oh, at the beginning. Oh. Oh, nothing. Nothing. It was quite fine. Just startling, that's all.
Yeah. Honestly, you get used to it. Getting these weird visions, and suddenly the world around you ain't what it should be. And yes.
Line of work.
I mean, true enough, 1 minute you're in a train car, the next minute you're in a I don't know, floating through the clouds. You're in the middle of an ocean. Might have been disconcerting the first couple of times, of course.
Yes.
I think it's only an hours long trip because this is through the air. It goes faster than you would think. It's a little less. It's not really much. I mean, you could have air sickness, I guess, but it's not like traveling on the sea. It's not up and down as much.
It's about just that she's not getting air sick. She's just afraid of the height.
I think you would land somewhere outside of Paris, and there is a carriage waiting for you on the private airfield. Some baron you've never heard of has a thing there and baron who's at what the French accent kind of thing.
Is there like a cargo hold that the wagon is in?
Oh, right, yes. And there's the wagon with all the crates and all that, which can be towed alongside. I think they're prepared for that. Maybe a second set of horses for that, for following along. And they guide you towards Paris, takes about, I would say, an hour or so. And your guide is Jacques Laplante, and he will say in fairly broken English, yes, the troll de Grenada. We can have, you say, park the goods. There's this little area, we can hide it off near the bridge that we usually do drop offs for lithrol. But in order to enter, you will need to go under the bridge, and he has his workshop under there, northside.
All right.
Rob, did you just put a troll under a bridge?
Did not take you long as the.
Words came out of your mouth. My brain went, he did not. Yes, he did.
Oh, dear.
Who would be approaching the or who would be leading the group go to under the bridge?
Probably Amos.
Okay.
She would be quite okay with him, yeah.
You'll notice that there's a fairly well worn path that goes underneath the bridge, as if a lot of people do this and that there's end of the bridge where you would expect to just have a wall of, I don't know, I guess acquisite of concrete at the time, which would just. Be mortar and rock, something like that. Except there is a door underneath there something you would not expect. And in fact, there's actually, if you look close enough, there's a couple of doors there's one that seems to be extra wide for carrying things into there, and just a regular door, as if somebody lives here that you can knock. There's a knocker on it. So wooden door.
What knockers? It was either that or a joke about how we have to pay for entry because it's a troll bridge.
Anyway, Amos will, after that, turn and look at the others. All right. So are we ready?
Yeah, as ready as we'll ever be, I reckon.
Well, yes. Let's go meet our new friend.
And with that, he will grab the knocker and give it a nice large knock.
Until next time. Dear listeners, blessings and good health. Owevois citations and valedictions for the Bonyards and Boojums Podcast are narrated by Jules Watts of Sees the GM Podcast for Creative Commons Music credits. Please see the episode notes.