Roll For You
Roll For You
Roll For You: Arcane Train! Episode 1 - Mothers Aren't Forever
In a world of floating earthen islands, many mysteries center around a new mode of transportation, the Arcane Train. This feat of magical engineering seeks to connect all five nation of the world, but all is not as it seems...
Welcome to the inaugural voyage of Roll For You: Arcane Train!
We are so excited to share this with you all, as this project is truly a labor of love for all involved. Our cast is as follows...
Game Master: Ross Bloedorn (He/Him)
Mallan Monko: Sam Maxwell (He/They)
Fern Hollinger: Katie Lynn Sinicki (She/Her)
Gor-El: Nic Mains (He/They)
All music in this episode is recorded and produced by the incredible and multi-talented Sam Maxwell
If you feel like supporting our show, check out our patreon at patreon.com/rollforyoupod for bonus content, after show talk backs, monthly live streams and download links to the original music used in this show: Patreon
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai - Go Unlimited to remove this watermark) We begin with an excerpt from Lost Below A Hole in History by Gellert Hollinger III. Despite hours of manpower between all five races collaborating on the dig site for some 43 days, our findings have come up rather... lackluster. We uncovered a few journals corroborating previous evidence discovered in an old windmill suggesting that, some 3,000 years ago, the world did indeed live beneath the cloud layer. While this is as we suspected, it is encouraging to have one thing in this madness that we can finally confirm. We came from beneath the clouds. We lived in a world that didn't need to worry about the vast void of nothingness that separates our sky islands. Furthermore, we have uncovered the inciting events, and our suspicions were indeed true. We have stumbled upon journals from what appears to be from early settlers of Bowery, a small tribal-like nation to the north inhabited by large green-skinned warriors, craftsmen, and dare I say, incredible storytellers. The writings confirm that our world was ravaged by natural disasters, wildfires destroyed forests, large billowing winds ripped apart shelters, and earthquakes dug fissures through entire communities. Just when the end seemed near, the first signs of magic reared its head. When all seemed dire, when all seemed lost, something quite miraculous happened. One final earthquake shook the world, threatening to sink its inhabitants. However, as proven in these writings, the world began to rise. It began to rise up from the very ground, turning into the world that we know now, a sea of clouds and floating earthen islands. While this is all we have ever known in our feeble lifespans, and thus not at all miraculous, it is worth noting that we have been desensitized to the true mystery. We have grown so accustomed to not knowing that it does not occur to us that we are in fact here today due to a miracle. We take for granted the history lost to us, lost to the lands left behind. So, I return to my earlier surmisings. I find everything we have learned up to now to be lackluster. We still have many things we have not even begun to grasp. Why did the events now known to us as The Crack happen, saving us from what would have been our final hours? Where does magic come from, and why was this power seemingly lost to us until three thousand years ago? Why is it that anyone sent to investigate the unknown that lies beneath the cloud layer has never returned? Most Peculiar. Most Peculiar Indeed. Starting with the incredible Sam Maxwell. What's up everybody? My name is Sam Maxwell. My pronouns are he, they, and I'm gonna be a little blue guy. The incomparable Katie Lynn Sinicki. He only says that because I'm his wife, but hey, I'm Katie. Pronouns are she, hers. And last but certainly not least, the illustrious Nick Maines. Hello, my name is Nick Maines, and my pronouns are he, they, and I am very excited. Thank you all ever so much for joining us on this adventure. We will be getting around to introducing our characters soon, but for now, let us jump on in. We look out over the expanse of this new world, seeing island after island sprawl out upon the horizon until it blinks out of sight over the curvature of the planet. We pan down the camera of our mind's eye down, down, down onto the world of Esmeralda. More specifically, the nation of Esmecia, a sprawling, large mass of land that holds many cities run by a rather familiar looking race of people. We would associate people who look like this as human, but here they are known as Esmeralds. We zoom down onto the large city, the capital city of Crimea. We whiz past men and women rushing to get to their respective jobs on time, children being dragged involuntarily to another day of schooling, and past all of this, we find ourselves at an immense platform, housing an even vaster hovering train suspended out over nothing but a set of floating railroad tracks and sky. The Roiber, a 50-mile-long feat of magical engineering. For the last 3,000 years, the world has had no form of mass transit connecting the vast world of islands floating above clouds, until now. The Roiber, made by lead engineer Ebenezer Roiber and a handful of genius artificers, is luxurious, it is grand, and it has the world's attention as it is on its inaugural trip to make its last stop before having completed its very first lap around the world. With the train docked, a crowd of tens of thousands of people of all races stands and waits for their ticket number to be called out to board the train via large intercoms posted outside the exterior. And among the crowd, we find, towards the back, a young Esmerald woman holding a book and a ticket with the words Press Pass clearly labeled. Katie, would you be so kind as to introduce your character to the table? Absolutely. Hey, I'm Fern Hollinger. I'm an Esmerald. And I'm here to uncover the truth. Uh, Fern, you find yourself holding this Press Pass, uh, given to you by your senior editor at Elysian News, the number one publication in Esmecia. Until only recently, you have mainly been in charge of, uh, let us say, running coffee for senior editors and, uh, quote-unquote, real journalists. Um, that's a very important job. I'll have you know. Yeah, they're not going to get by without their coffee. They're not going to be able to make the news. To say your theories that you desire to write are a little out there would perhaps not be an exaggeration. Sometimes the truth can be very out there. We just need to expand our ideas of truth. Uh, yeah, this is your first time your editor Smith has given you the go-ahead to take a story for yourself. You just walked into his office one day after he called you in and he very reluctantly gave you a Press Pass, uh, because all the other, uh, journalists had already been covering different topics on the train. So this is kind of your big shot. I couldn't agree more. This is it. Uh, the only problem is, as I stated earlier, this is kind of the last stop before it's already made its, like, lap around the world. This train is already deep into its journey. It is on its last stop and the next stop will mean it's finished its full lap. Uh, so that being said, most of the exciting headlines have kind of already been grabbed up. So you really have to think outside the box on this one, you think, which, uh, for you might be a little more outside the box than what normal people are thinking of. I mean, like the last headline you saw was from, like, your senior peer over at, uh, Elysian News who wrote the headline, A City on Wheels. I mean, how do you beat that? Um, quite easily because I am here, as I said, to discover the truth. Everyone else at my news outlet is simply writing what is obvious to the eye, what is obviously there. And what is the truth? Well, the truth is that this train is not what it seems. As you may or may not know, our town, our life, our species, our, our reality has been separated for as long as we know. We know that there is a BC and an AC, before crack and after crack. That is absolutely correct, yes. But we've been separated up to this point with very little contact with other races. And quite frankly, Asmirans especially have been profiting off of this separation. And now Asmirans are the ones who are suddenly forging a connection between these other species? I don't think so. Yeah, absolutely. So as you stand in the back contemplating these thoughts, uh, absolutely just being jostled by like a huge, like, it is a packed crowd, like sardines, we're talking here. Let me tell you, I don't notice. Absolutely. People just pushing you out of the way. Uh, what, what is, uh, because I don't think, uh, we got like a true, like, look at to what Fern looks like. What does Fern look like? Fern, um, if I may use some maybe beloved characters to give a bit of a description, I would say that Fern looks like Miss Frizzle. Um, so Fern has got some crazy red curly hair, um, that is always sticking up in the wrong places. Usually tied back because let's be honest, it's a hindrance. Fern is wearing, um, a very simple, very practical dress, uh, that's got a bit of a vest on it to hold things that Fern might need. I think it buckles around the waist, maybe, uh, sure is a nod to a corset. Um, absolutely. She's shorter. Uh, she's got, uh, of course, um, these thick, thick bottle cap spectacles on. Um, and I would say that is Fern physically. Absolutely. Uh, so Fern, as you're being jostled around by this huge crowd, why don't you go ahead and give me a, let's say a perception or an investigation check, your, your choice. First roll of the session. I believe in you. You're being like jostled around by people not paying attention. Wow. I'm gonna use my investigation stat because it is incredible. That is an 18. All right. So on an 18, uh, yeah, I mean, you see a lot of things while you're being absolutely bludgeoned in this crowd, trying to move forward to this train. Um, just like, I think you got like a book up, so you're not noticing, like, uh, for the record, the book that you were holding is actually, um, uh, the book from our intro, uh, Lost Below, A Hole in History. An important factor to note here is Gellert Hollinger is your great grandfather. Absolutely. Yeah. Uh. It runs in the family, might I say. You come from a family of, uh, bookkeepers, so like your bookish nature, uh, kind of runs in the blood for sure. Uh, so we have you, uh, jostled through this crowd, and I think on that 18, uh, what you see here, uh, is a few things. One, uh, I think out in the distance, uh, you see there's kind of like a ramp going up to a different part of the train. It's kind of like skipping the line a little bit, and it's like something you would see, uh, nobility, very Titanic-esque, where like the Titanic people have to have to bring their cars on the ship, you know. Wait, did they bring their cars on the ship in Titanic? They absolutely did that. Why do you think Jack and Rose fucked in the Titanic in a car? Oh yeah, they were in a car, weren't they? That's right. It's the most iconic scene. Yeah, and, uh, basically, uh, there's like this, like, conveyor belt going up with like all these heavy bags, and like there's kind of like, uh, if you will, Game of Thrones-y kind of like one of those, like, hole bearers almost carrying some people that you can't see inside of it, skipping the main lobby entrance into the train. Here is my question. Yes. Am I surrounded only by humans and or Asmaceans, or are there other races around too? You definitely can see a few Aldarans, which are our stand-in for Aarakacras in this game, a winged-like grace. There's definitely mainly Asmereans here because this is an Asmerean port, but that being said, being the capital city, it's one of the biggest melting pots in the world, uh, for people who actually did make a trek before there was mass transportation. Sure. Um, of course, Aldarans being a winged race, there's more of them here because they could literally fly here. Now, there is one man off in the distance that is just kind of like standing very still with green skin and pointed teeth. You notice him immediately because he is a good two heads taller than everyone else, and despite this huge crowd, everyone is giving him a very wide berth. His head is almost in the clouds. Oh, wait, we're all in the clouds! Yeah, and he's just kind of standing there holding, uh, I think what that 18 you see is holding a ticket and staring at it unblinking, just listening so astutely. Amazing. Um, uh, the other, uh, going back quick to, uh, I'm gonna say on that 18, back on the, the luggage and the people that are being taken in. So, there are two options here. One, it's a very wealthy kind of, uh, individual, and, uh, two, it could be, uh, royalty, which would be kind of a bit of a scandal because there is no reason anyone of Asmiran royalty would be getting on the train on the second to last stop on the inaugural voyage. It's kind of a slight, and if there is a story there, uh, that you might believe. Yeah, I'll find it. Yeah, uh, because if that is true, that's a scandal, uh, waiting to, uh, appear. I think the last thing you notice are two kind of more, uh, not necessarily important, but just good to know things, which is, uh, the undercarriage of the whole train. There's like this undercarriage, like through the entire 50 miles of the Roiber, and like from end to front, and it appears to be where a lot of, uh, storage is done for the train for like things of, uh, bars might need or refrigerator units, whatever have you, whatever extra luggage, maybe some more royal people don't have room for in their rooms, uh, stuff like that. And the other thing is you would know, again, on that very high roll that smoke is coming out of the train engine. Uh, you can see it. It's very hard to see from like the very back, which is where you are boarding on the very back end of the train, but, uh, often the distance, uh, you saw, uh, pictures of this too, there is kind of a smokestack kind of thing coming out of the front, which doesn't make any sense because this is an artificer made creation. It is not coal powered, is not steam powered, is not any kind of, it's aesthetic is what it is. It's like a lie. One thing I've learned as a journalist is that nothing is as it seems. Everything is a lie. Exactly. That's right. And there is truth to be uncovered. That's right. And it's wild, wilder than our imaginations can even conceive. Uh, yes. So, uh, yeah, with all those revelations, what are you doing as you're waiting for your ticket number to be called? Oh, well, I'm reading a book. Okay. You're, uh, reading this book and, uh, let's say walking towards this, uh, front here. Uh, we mentioned earlier Ebenezer Royber, the lead architect of the train, uh, and the namesake of the train, uh, Ebenezer was actually pretty close with your great grandfather and has signed the copy of the book you're holding. Uh, and that knowledge may have been a factor, uh, into perhaps Smith giving you a chance to write the story thinking maybe there's a chance you can get in with a absolute powerhouse in the creation of this tour de force. You know what I'm saying? You know, my mom said that if you hear no 100 times, you ask a hundred times more. And that's exactly what I did to get this story. This is, this is, that's, God, the worst interviewer I've ever heard. This is off the record, right? No. It's always on the record. Exactly. I am the record. Uh, yeah. So, uh, Katie, I'm going to be sending you, Katie, uh, your ticket number in a minute. Um, six, nine, six, nine, six, nine. Forty-two. Two, four, six, oh. Oh. And here it is. I have my ticket number. Yes, you have your ticket number now. And, uh, you'll notice it says S5. That is one because the train is divided into five sectors due to its huge length. You are on the tail end making it sector five. So, you know, S5 stands for sector five. The next letters are UR. So, that would, uh, have to do with the formatting of the carts, which we'll get into more detail here in a bit. But UR means upper right in this instance. And then 140 is your actual room number. So, total, it is S5. You are 140. I am 140. So, you enter onto the train. Finally, uh, you hear over the speaker, uh, S5. You are 140. And, uh, just like waving your, uh, ticket in the air. That's me. That's me. That's me. I'm press, everyone. Take a look around. Oh, yeah, the story. All of a sudden, just like this girl who was getting absolutely decimated in a crowd while she was reading a book she's probably read a thousand times is just fucking, like, absolutely. Give me a, uh, an athletics check. Oh, no. Press your way through this crowd. You said athletics. Are you sure? Yep. Great. Um, okay. Ross, is this like a full mosh pit, like, outside? Now it is. I know. I know. I haven't met her yet. Wait, wait, wait, wait, ladies and gentlemen and others, I present to you the first natural 20 of the session. Really, dude? Oh, my god. It really just started. It just started. I want you to tell me what happens. This is a good omen. You tell me what happens. They part like the Red Sea. Stop. That's exactly what happens. This Miss Frizzle-ass young lady, just red hair going everywhere. These bottle glasses just with a voice bigger than her body should be able to contain. Yowls. Just miss me. She is the magic school bus. It's giving like the golden ticket. Exactly. Oh, my god. You've got the golden ticket. Look out, world. When you enter, you bump past the only person I want to say that doesn't move out of your way is the bower man still very looking down at his ticket unblinking as we discussed earlier as you rush past him. You go into the train. Immediately, you recognize that those reporters with their stories and grand headlines were not exaggerating, and they didn't exactly have to go to a deep place to find some of the things they were looking for. Gold trimming on the walls and giant murals. One depicting Ebenezer Royber, the namesake, and as he sits in a grand sitting chair with huge royal red arms and configuration and with a pipe in his hand and smoking very Gandalf almost like he's older with snow white hair and a very fresh pressed gray suit. Forgive me if we have already established this, but what race is Ebenezer? Ebenezer is a Nesmiren. Okay, perfect. We have you coming in here, and as you enter, immediately a little blue man up to your stomach, maybe two and a half foot, three feet, comes running, charging up to you at a breakneck speed. You think he's going to run into you, but he stops last second. He's in a royal blue conductor's uniform and a matching conductor's hat. He's very excited, but he doesn't say anything. He's got a little name tag that says guest services, and he's smiling from ear to ear, and he looks like he's about to explode with what he has to say. Excellent. Sir, can I quote you? Hello, my name is Perkins Bramble. You can always quote me, ma'am. My child is Phoebe Bramble and Benson Bramble. My wife is Penelope Bramble, and I'm here to assist in any way possible. Fern is scribbling furiously. Absolutely. I think as he just starts going on his tangent, let me see that ticket there, ma'am. Gets like a Polar Express kind of like ticket punch around. Tickets, please. Absolutely nuts on it. A man comes out from around the corner and he says, Perkins, I already told you, you can't be doing this every single time someone comes in the door. We have a long fucking day ahead of us. And he's like, right, right, right. Here we go. Here we go. Thanks, Mr. Clyburn. And he gives you back your ticket, and he's like, oh boy, here we go. You have a press pass. It's my first time. I get to use, I get to use the cart. I would die for him. Yeah, Perkins gestures over to the right. There's like this large like kind of dolly with like two chairs. It's almost go-kart like, no, sorry, golf cart like. Oh, I didn't realize he strapped the fuck in. Throws it in gear. It is very golf cart like with like a kind of like back thing for luggage to be piled on. What kind of luggage did Fern bring? I think that, so I haven't shared yet, but Fern, since her family are literal book makers, book binders, book crafters, that's a dying art. And Fern is not very well off. So I would say I have a very vintage looking suitcase that's quite small. You're effectively an intern. I mean, you're probably a paid intern, but you're basically an intern. Not for long. Exactly. Not for long. So Perkins, he lifts up your bag, which I think is bigger than him. And he just like very laboredly starts taking it over to the cart. I would like to approach, is it Clyburn? Yeah. He's like, what is it, miss? Care to offer a quote? What? You seem a bit disgruntled, sir. May I ask why? There's so many people. Perkins! Perkins is now, if you look over, he's like underneath the luggage that you handed off to him. He's like very struggling. He's like, God damn. Okay. I think I would like to go pick up my suitcase for squished Perkins. He absolutely doesn't let go. Oh, great. So I'm now holding both my suitcase and Perkins. Perkins absolutely holds on with all his might. No, no, I've got it. I've got it just fine. And I think I'm dragging my suitcase back over because, hey, there could be a story here with Clyburn. Clyburn is like, listen, I got to take care of some other people. I got like five minutes. What's going on? Well, I just wanted to see what your take was on this so-called Roiber train. They pay me minimum and I get to see other places. So that's cool. And what do you feel about getting to see other places for presumably the first time in your life? Good. Very good. Do you think it's so good? Strange. I think, give me an insight check on this man. Oh boy. Oh no. You said insight? Yeah, insight. That is an 11. This, even above a 10, I'm going to give you this much. He is like sweating beads because he finds you very attractive. He does not know how to deal with this pretty girl with a microphone in his face or like not a microphone because I don't think we have. There are definitely microphones in this world as we established with the intercoms calling out ticket numbers. But I think in this world, news is a little more pen and paper. Yeah. So you writing down everything he's saying, he's just like, oh shit. Sir, are you? Are you quite all right? I'm good. I'm so good. I got to go to the bathroom. No, fuck. I got to take care of things. I hope we meet again. Uh, just know that I'm. My name is Fern. My name is Fern Hollinger. And my ticket is S5UR140. And if you ever would like to give me a tip on what might really be going on here. Typically you tip us, uh, you know, where. No, sir. The scoop. The skinny on the hooey. Uh, yeah, I'm not gonna do that. I don't have, I, I gotta work. I just got this job. I really don't want to lose it. Don't be dismayed, sir. I'm very persuasive. I'm sure we'll find another time to chat. God, why is, okay. Uh, have, have a great day, miss. Fern. Miss Fern. Fern. Miss Fern. Got it. Um, he goes back to work. Uh, and, uh, Perkins is honking the little horn on his golf cart. Come on, miss. Just causing a ruckus in a lobby full of people, just like the outside. Excellent. And I run and join him. Fern, before we leave this lobby-like area, let's just do a little description of how this train works. So this isn't like a normal train where there is one line of large cars going in each direction. Uh, because of the arcane engines and anti-gravity engines that are built up for this train, this first lobby cart is about like 45 foot high ceilings. You know what I'm saying? The width of it is even longer. You know, it is absolutely enormous. It is like you are in a mansion and you're only in the first cart. So not only is it 50 miles long, uh, it is absolutely huge. Not only that, on either side of the train, you'll find nine doors, uh, in this cart specifically because it's the lobby cart.
