A Performance They'll Never Forget

*A Performance They'll Never Forget* is the title of the first episode of the sixth season of S.H.A.D.O.W. and the sixty first session of the entire game.

This session was played on October 13th, 2019

## A Performance They'll Never Forget

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Matt Christie, Richie Maynard, Eric Rios

## Plot

The Circus celebrates the success of Saint Hylophagous and the others saving Aethel.

## Synopsis

Phylyco is bouncing around having a legitimate good time with Boggle. They have a good few days just playing and laughing. It appears like he might have turned positively for the assassin, until Boggle trips and hangs itself on some loose rope. Phylyco is quiet once again. Lara reveals to Phylyco, Aragi, and Darrow that it has been six months since they left for the Vale, even though it was only a few days for them. Hylophagous has convinced everyone that he alone saved Aethel from the plague and to celebrate they have a performance for the first time in awhile this evening. The problem is they need more performers. Phylyco sees the paygrade and happens to already have a dozen men prepared. He takes the cash and leaves with the clearly homeless people he “hired”. Darrow follows.  Aragi reminds her that he doesn’t work for the circus and refuses to perform. He leaves her alone to find a replacement. Phylyco and Darrow discuss building a barracks outside the walls to better train any new members. Darrow wants to build an army but Phylyco reminds him that they are assassins first. They need to be discreet. They decide to disguise a normal building as the barracks to not cause suspicions. Sirobe listens in and reports to the Saint. Primarch Redthorn is in a meeting with her Captains. A young soldier busts in through the doors, followed by a squirrely tiefling who apologizes to them for not being able to stop him from entering. The General stops the young boy from getting any words out and dismisses him. The boy leaves and the Abettor follows, attempting to explain why the boy, who he calls Vargas, is not permitted in those meetings. Vargas reminds him that he is on the path to Captain anyway and asks for two tickets for the circus tonight. He then heads to his training. His “Thorns” are a ragtag group but they are still soldiers and they follow his orders very well. He invites the latest recruit, Olivia, to the performance tonight and pulls out some wine and ale for the other to celebrate their successful mission in the south. They begin to drink and have a good afternoon.

Aragi is out in the woods, speaking with what appears to be a Pixie. It vanishes midsentence. He is unsure how it appeared to him but he plans to look into this further in the future. His new magical abilities have been getting crazier since the Vale. Sirobe is watching nearby and reports to the Saint. Aragi spots him and heads back to the city. Darrow speaks with the new in-house builder, Zinonna. He requests her to return to the FORGE and recruit as many people as she trusts to help build a few buildings for him. She complies easily but the barbarian still threatens her because he has no self-control. The performance inches closer. Vargas goes to speak with the General and refers to him as his father. It is revealed that Vargas is the Son of the great Jean de Orion Highstar, head of House Rose. The General is not pleased with his son’s actions earlier in the day. He warns him that if he continues to act like he already has the job, he will promote someone else. Vargas understands but is not happy about it. He leaves. Aragi goes to confront Hylophagous about the cat and the Saint asks that he at least stay and watch the show. It’ll be a performance the people will never forget.

Vargas is ready for the show. He goes to retrieve Olivia and they head to the square. They sit in near the front and Aragi sits way in the back. Lara gets everyone set and hands out the order list. Darrow will open, Phylyco will end. The Saint enters the ring. It a change of pace he quietly introduces the circus. His normal persona does not shine through at all. He thanks everyone for attending and is happy to be the “Savior of Aethel”. He makes eye contact with Olivia and lets the show begin. Darrow gets the crowd going early and Sirobe has a great showing as well. It is a good night. Then the Magnificent comes on stage. He does his thing until he is brought a bowl of parchment. He picks one out and calls the seat number. It is Olivia and she is invited to the ring. Phylyco puts on the blindfold he received from Aguero. He hands her a knife and tells her to attack him with the knife. His intention is to show off his blind sense but Hylophagous interrupts. Phylyco is not happy his performance is being taken over but he doesn’t react. The Saint takes the knife from the girl and tosses it directly up in the air. He then hands her a new much more ceramic knife. Intricate and fancy. He tells her to throw it at him instead. She is nervous but the other knife is falling fast. Phylyco catches it just above her head and the crowd goes wild. Hylophagous joins the applause and promotes another performance next month then says goodnight. He invites Olivia and anyone she’s with a back stage tour after the crowd disperses and lets her keep the pretty blade. Phylyco leaves, livid. Olivia goes up to Vargas and invites him back stage with her. Aragi immediately goes to talk to Phylyco about what happened. The Thorns enter the wings and speak briefly with Lara before Vargas heads to find Darrow. Olivia begins to speak with some of the Dancers. Vargas sees Aragi brush past Lara, very passive aggressively. He doesn’t acknowledge it and continues to find the barbarian. They meet and he introduces himself as an underling to his brother, Delsin. They talk a bit about the Emberstorms. Aragi finds Phylyco in his tent fuming and the man tells the archer they have to kill “him”. They both go silent. It’s not something they’ve said out loud before. It’s chilling. They hear a scream outside and they go to investigate. A crowd has formed around a body. Sticking out of the man is the knife that Olivia was given.

Vargas steps up and makes sure nobody leaves the area. His colors show and he has the crowd detained. He asks Lara to bring him to the Saint for questioning. The man accuses the Saint of pinning this murder on his soldier and the Saint laughs off the young man, demanding justice for his performer. Vargas can’t keep his cool and arrests the Saint. No cuffs. The Saint complies and fakes a more obvious arrest. Phylyco and Aragi watch on in disbelief. Lara is allowed to stay with a guard. Elsewhere, Darrow is in the bed of some whore. He hears the commotion outside and goes to the window to see the Saint being taken away. He is not pleased and sends the woman away. Aragi goes to find Olivia since she is suspiciously not around and Phylyco spots Sirobe nearby. He goes to speak with the tebaxi because it’s getting obnoxious that the cat is always in earshot of the group. He confronts the spy and demands to know who killed the man. Vargas places The Saint in an interrogation room and begins the questioning. It is clear that Hylophagous has the upper hand as Jean rushes in, sending Vargas back to his quarters and apologizing to the tiefling. Vargas leaves, not so happy.

## Cast

### Main

* Aragi Maxul
* Phylyco Brokenwhisper
* Lara Youngheart
* Sirobe
* Darrow Emberstorm
* Vargas de Orion Highstar
* Jean de Orion Highstar
* Saint Hylophagous

### Supporting

* Boggle
* Gris Soulspark
* Abettor Injun
* Olivia Giroud
* Antoine Griezmann
* Evra Martial
* Raphael Varane
* Christophe Jallet
* Zinonna Murium
* Alidiana Pegason

### Guest

* Sevricha Redthorn
* Trahorn Giantscrippler
* Zinnatiss Dryadson
* Ronxim Feyfinder
* Delsin Emberstorm

## Trivia

* Season 6 premiere
* First appearance of Vargas de Orion Highstar.
* Vargas is the fourth character played by Eric Rios, tying him with Corey Sexton for most characters.