Stable Conditions

*Stable Conditions* is the title of the second episode of the first season of S.H.A.D.O.W. and the second session of the entire game.

This Session was played on March 12th, 2017

## Stable Conditions

### Writer

Jonny Christie, Matt Christie, Rob Christie, Richie Maynard, Eric Rios, Corey Sexton

## Plot

The Squad continues on their mission to assassinate the Black Market Merchant, Oolathana Gladdenstone.

## Synopsis

Twelve hours ago Di-Syl leaves his room in the middle of the night, unnoticed. The next morning Phylyco wakes up at the STG house, leaves the circus card on his pillow and heads back to his companions at Copperbeard's, Mal is passed out on the bar. He wakes up Aragi and Bizzy and goes to wake up Di-Syl only to find he's gone with his weapons. He goes through his bags and finds a red notebook which he takes. Bizzy breaks Di-Syl's door and then they go shopping. Aragi asks Copperbeard about shops in town and wakes up Mal. Bizzy knocks Mal's drink to the ground so Mal smacks the tiefling and Aragi breaks it up by paying to fill Mal's waterskin with Northbled then goes to the Woodworker, followed by the Fletcher. Mal goes to the stables to wait. Phylyco goes to the Tinkerer and convinces him to give him a Phantom Bow at discount. Bizzy goes to the Blacksmith and picks a fight with the Minotaur owner only to back down once he realizes what he's doing and gets kicked out. Phylyco goes back to Copperbeard and convinces him to read the dwarvish in Di-Syl's notebook for him. Meanwhile Aguero and Mathite had just found Psaro and are deciding what to do with the new information. Mathite stays with the body as Aguero goes back to Hylophagous to explain. The Saint sends the gnomes to retrieve the dragonborn and the half-elf tries to ask what happened, getting little to no new info. He decides to go find the Kokkalo tribe to let them know about their loss and he wishes to take Mathite as well. Hylophagous tells him that if he were to get caught leaving it would be dire but he doesn't say no. Back at the stables the others arrive and the dwarf still hasn't arrived concerning Mal. Aragi attempts to negotiate for a horse and carriage and realizes it's too expensive.

Di-Syl returns to town as if nothing happened and goes to the nearest bar. He steals a bottle of Absinth and leaves. Mal still wonders where the dwarf is and Phylyco distracts the Equistar while Aragi sneaks a horse and carriage out and just as they get away with it Bizzy knocks out the man and they leave with three horses including a prized White Stallion but not after Di-Syl reappears to join them and shares his drink with Mal. Back at the circus Aguero talks to Mathite about leaving for Prin and they devise a plan to get themselves and Psaro's body out of there. He convinces Mort to give him the key to the body cart but Hylophagous catches them and walks Aguero into the woods and reminds the half-elf he owns him and they camp for the night. Lara drops something into Aguero's bowl and he prepares to leave again. Meanwhile the others are camping for the night after leaving Aethel (City). Phylyco and Mal discuss the new members. The next morning Boris catches up and is still useless. Aguero puts his new plan in motion. Hylophagous asks him what happened during the Vrisoe mission and he admits that he shot prematurely. The Saint turns around and starts counting down from thirty. Aguero manages to get two horses, connect Psaro to one and escape with Mathite. Hylophagous then turns to an elf and tells him to get his horse back.

Aragi's squad camp on the coast of the Gladelake for the night. Aragi and Phylyco chastise Bizzy for the shit he did in the capitol city and plan their job in Kyesi. During Mal's watch a Wyrm bursts out of the Gladelake and the party attacks. Bizzy threatens to electrify the lake knowing it's young are in there and distracts it enough for everyone to do substantial damage to the creature. Bizzy attempts to kill the water life but his lightning fizzles out to everyone's surprise. The Wyrm tackles Bizzy but he stands his ground and knocks it back into Phylyco who kills it. Mal, still in a rage swings at Di-Syl, trips and knocks himself out.

The next day Di-Syl looks out over the Gladelake and the current drags him in, he almost drowns but Aragi thinks quick and ties himself to a tree and jumps in after him, and saves him. They make it to Kyesi and Phylyco and Aragi argue yet again. Mal grabs them both by the necks and breaks it up. Phylyco plans to disguise himself and they all go to the bar save for Bizzy who goes to the markets. Di-Syl talks to a shady dwarf and Mal drinks with a gang of elves. Di-Syl leaves for the markets while Aragi and Phylyco try to get information on their target. Phylyco heads to the Tinkerer and Aragi sells the barkeep his wyrm scales. She scratches his wrist as they make the deal but nothing happens. Meanwhile Bizzy is trying to sell his Wyrm's head and Di-Syl catches up to him, successfully selling the head for him. Phylyco tries to get darts made from the Wyrm quills and finds out that the owner is Urlaff Gladdenstone, son of the target, Oolathana. He then goes to the STG house in town and talks to Gregory about the Halfling. Aragi seeks a perch above the town square to observe the surroundings and breaks a man's window climbing. He bails and heads to a different location. Bizzy and Di-Syl enter the town square and spot Oolathana. Di-Syl goes up to talk to her and gets stabbed. She runs and calls for her men to defend her. Di-Syl and Bizzy hold off the guards while Phylyco get around her and assassinates Ooolathana, taking her necklace and stepping back into the shadows. They all meet back up at the stables and find Mal's axe and blood all around them unaware that he is being held in the building next door and getting severely beaten. Elsewhere Aguero and Mathite are building camp for the night. Aguero suggests they figure out a way to say goodbye to Psaro but nothing works out. He decides to go to the river and talk to Sachayoj, which is also unhelpful and he hears a scream. He heads back and is sucker punched and knocked unconscious. The last shot is a blurry scene of Mathite getting taken by some figure, also taking their horse.

## Cast

### Main

* Aragi Maxul
* Phylyco Brokenwhisper
* Aguero Cryhawk
* Mathite'Vomenos
* Di-Syl
* "Bizzy" Cignall
* Saint Hylophagous

### Supporting

* Lara Youngheart
* Boris the Cat
* Mal Bloodjaw
* Mort Soulspark
* Vida Soulspark
* Psaro'Kokkalo
* The Demon Sachayoj
* Copperbeard
* Gregory
* Blaktar
* Sevan Redthorn
* Jamven Darksbane
* Hermes the Horse

### Guest

* Bray the Horse
* Phillip the Horse
* Urlaff Gladdenstone
* Oolathana Gladdenstone

## Trivia

* This session reveals that Gregory manages to be at the front desk of every Guild house for the Shadow Thieves Guild in Aethel despite having no explanation for him being there.
* Aragi was originally supposed to be poisoned by the scratch he received but it was dropped because it'd be "too complicated" to incorporate into all the daily activities the character does.
* The elf that Saint Hylophagous sends after his horse is Jamven Darksbane, a character that Christie played in a different campaign with a group of co-workers when he worked at GameStop.
* The gang that Mal is drinking with and eventually gets captured by is called the Silk Shard gang, though this is never mentioned in game.
* The original ending had Aguero and Mathite burying Psaro and having a tender moment before riding off but the dice didn't allow that to happen.