Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night

The special New Years Eve episode of Rude Tales of Magic. Run by Ali Fisher and Christopher Hastings, the name and a fake description was used as a fakeout to imply that one of the original party members would die. The episode was later re-titled Giant Sized New Year's Eve Holiday Spectacular.

The players are given random management characters at Flammable Rock Holdings who must organize the company's New Year's Eve Party before the colossal Baby New Year circles the world.

The game was treated as compatible with Cordelia, but has so far not been confirmed as part of the same world as the main campaign.

## Summary

The players are randomly given their character classes, backstories and alignments (Naughty or Nice). They meet with Verona and Prog, their superiors at Flammable Rock Holdings, a dwarven mining company. The company has been recently accusing of mining too deep and tempting fate, but their staff has managed to put a positive spin on it all through PR campaigns.

Verona and Prog boast about their job security and fantastic company Pissmas party. They remind the party that they are under review soon and are in charge of organizing the New Year's Eve party, but the pair of antagonists have overspent on the Pissmas event and only leave them with a few magic items and twenty-thousand gold. The players hurry off to secure the location, entertainment and catering that they had reserved already while attempting to stay under budget.

The party arrives at the Reingold Pavillion and attempt to talk down their price for a ballroom. The owners agree if the party can either exorcise their basement its three spirits or open their magically locked ballroom that they have haven't opened in years. They use the Babel Ants from the company vault to translate its runes, stating that only shameful secrets will open it. Surfboard explains her regrettable marriages, Bold Henry sulks over a rejection letter from a publisher, Cardboard Junior confesses to lying on his resume, and Boy's Night mispronounces "wibbing my web." Their combined embarrassment opens the gate and they are permitted to use the ballroom for free.

They move on to pick up their catering at Digestibles, where a very smooth worshiper of Beyonce is asking for donations. They wish him smooth tidings and head inside, but realize that the owner expects twenty-thousand gold for the food, saying that ten-thousand was their deposit. Boy's Night excuses himself to magically speak to their bush out front, who lets him in on bits of gossip. He learns that the owners of Digestibles overcharge their customers who don't adhere to their religious practices. The party assures them that their New Years party is a waxing party with Beyonce themes, earning them a discount.

Lastly the team goes to Wet Sounds, a siren-themed bar and concert hall. They overhear Take Five, their a capella hydra, warming up for the show. They pay their ten thousand fee and are done.

When their actual celebration occurs, the players are given secret agendas to pursue while making the party go well. They entertain their dates while trying to force Dunkdunk and Leif Tonklefart to finally hook up. Prog and Verona show up to inform them that they started another mining operation that has redirected Father Time from his course around the world right towards their party. The players try to distract him before resorting to combat, fending off the time god until Boy's Night manages to convince Father Time that he has spent too long fighting them and missed New Year's. The god returns to his giant baby form where they can safely keep him away from the party. Their party a success, the players return to their dates and face the aftermath of their decisions and corner cutting.

## Trivia

* This is the first Rude Tales of Magic game run by someone besides Branson Reese and the first game run by two simultaneous GMs.
* A sequel to the game is run in A Very Rude Valentines Day Special.

## Link

https://rudetalesofmagic.simplecast.com/episodes/giant-sized-new-years-eve-holiday-spectacular