Our heroes talk about the future. And the past.
Transcript is below the cut!
Transcript provided by Ria Couoh.
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INTRO (00:00):
HANNAH
Hi everyone! Hannah and Tessa, here to thank our newest patrons. Tessa?
TESSA
Of course. We would first and foremost like to thank DS. Very mysterious, this one.
HANNAH
Mysterious, but generous!
TESSA
Very true. It is also a great honor to thank Tamarin Crestwood for their contribution. Thank you, Tamarin! And I’m glad to see you doing well!
HANNAH
Oh, you know them?
TESSA
I met them briefly, yes, before they became a famous wizard. They’re best known for the spell they created, Tamarin’s Majestic Bubbles.
HANNAH
Hm, sounds intriguing! Is that on D&D Beyond?
TESSA
Well that depends.
(beat)
What is that?
HANNAH
Never mind. If you want to support the inn, go to patreon.com/TheGoblinsHead.
TESSA
And now, let’s go to the inn.
RECAP (00:43):
TESSA
Previously on Inn Between…
Inn Between theme plays in the background.
CASTOR
Isn’t Belling the town with the blood feud?
KNOWLES
So you have no idea what’s wrong with the town.
BETTY
Everyone felt… wrong.
FINA
Yeah, the vibes were weird.
ROSIE
This is just a fact-finding mission, right?
Inn Between theme fades away.
Tavern sounds.
CASTOR
(annoyed sigh)
How much farther to Belling now?
TODE
Perhaps three days. Do you…
(pause)
Do you all feel strange as we get closer?
KNOWLES
Strange how?
TODE
Hard to say in any quantifiable manner, I’m afraid. It feels as if I am grasping at smoke.
ZARA
(sarcastic)
So helpful.
ROSIE
Is it like what Friar Velune was talking about?
TODE
Perhaps. But I do know one thing for certain.
KNOWLES
What’s that?
TODE
The beasts of the field and the birds of the air do not care for this place. The closer we come to Belling, the fewer there are.
ROSIE
Odd.
TODE
Perhaps it is too early to tell, but… I do not believe it is a creature we are dealing with. I cannot think of any beast or monster who could do this.
KNOWLES
So sorcery or demons, then.
TODE
(solemn)
My work here may be done.
ROSIE
You’re not going to leave, are you?
TODE
I’m unsure what more use I could be to you.
KNOWLES
I could think of a few things.
ZARA
For one, if you’re the only one who can sense this thing, I’d like to keep you close by.
TODE
Ah. Fair.
KNOWLES
Let’s not part ways just yet, eh? We wouldn’t want you to miss out on your payout.
ROSIE
(excitedly)
Ooh, I do love a payout!
KNOWLES
Have you decided what you’re going to do with the money yet, Rosie?
ROSIE
Something unsavory, probably.
(playful)
I’ll spare you the details, guard.
KNOWLES
Oh, that kind of unsavory?
ROSIE
As payouts go, it’s a pretty good one though! I’ve got some ideas!
KNOWLES
Are you used to this sort of money?
ROSIE
I have my dry spells, but… generally speaking? I am very good at my job.
ZARA
Crime pays, it seems.
ROSIE
Now, it’s your turn to play, Knowles. What are you going to do with the money?
KNOWLES
(small chuckle)
Move out of the tenement I’ve been staying in! About time, too!
ZARA
Doesn’t your captain pay you enough?
KNOWLES
Better than the last couple! But this speeds things up significantly.
TODE
Have you gambling debts?
KNOWLES
Oh, no. I’m not in the habit of losing bets. What about Zara?
ROSIE
Ooh, yes! What are you going to do, Zara?
ZARA
(thoughfully)
Hm.
(pause)
Between this, and the rest that I have saved up, I think I could get a little land. Maybe a cottage.
(considering pause)
And then I’d never have to see another person’s face ever again.
TODE
There is much to be said for thoughtful solitude.
ZARA
(with satisfaction)
I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.
CASTOR
That sounds like it would suit you.
ZARA
(humorous)
Hm.
ROSIE
What are you going to do with your payout, Castor?
CASTOR
Nothing exciting, really. It’s enough for me to live on for quite some time, if I’m careful, and I’ll be sending about half of it home to my parents.
ROSIE
Your parents?
CASTOR
Uh, yes. They have a shop in Delaroca and… it could use some repairs.
ZARA
Delaroca is a city in Darkmine, right?
CASTOR
Yes, it’s the capital.
ROSIE
You… didn’t wanna tell me where you were from before.
CASTOR
(hesitantly, slowly, honestly)
Oh. That. Well… I… haven’t been back in years. Talking about Delaroca as home felt… dishonest. Sorry.
ROSIE
No, I…
(pause)
I get that.
KNOWLES
Is your whole family there?
CASTOR
Yes! I have a brother and a sister. I… haven’t seen them in a long time either, though. We… keep in touch through letters.
ROSIE
Why’d you run away?
CASTOR
Oh. No, I didn’t… I didn’t run away. I went away to study.
ROSIE
Oh.
(awkwardly)
Sorry.
CASTOR
No, it’s alright.
KNOWLES
Do you ever miss your family?
CASTOR
(earnestly)
Certainly. I love them very much.
ROSIE
Hm.
A small pause.
CASTOR
You’re from the capitol, Knowles, right? Is that where your family is?
KNOWLES
In a way. That’s where they’re buried.
ZARA
(sardonic)
Oh, very nice.
CASTOR
Ah, I’m… I’m so sorry, I…
KNOWLES
(sincerely)
No, it’s alright, Castor. You didn’t know.
ROSIE
What… happened to them?
KNOWLES
Some poverty, some illness…
(with dry humor)
… some plain bad luck. My mother was the last one left, but she got caught up in a mob when I was fifteen or so and… well, she was trampled.
ROSIE
(horrified)
Leaping Lolth.
CASTOR
I’m so sorry.
KNOWLES
Well, you know, odds were somebody was going to die in that mess. It’s terrible that it had to be my mother, but… can’t really be helped.
ZARA
(bitterly)
You’re so… flippant about it.
KNOWLES
Does it sound that way? No, I’ve… just lived with it for a while. It hurts but… it’s a familiar kind of hurt.
ZARA
How do you manage to get used to something like that?
KNOWLES
(thoughtful pause)
Who’d you lose?
A pause between them.
ZARA
Nobody.
Another heavy pause.
KNOWLES
(carefully)
Part of it is… growing up the way I did, you expect to lose people. My luck was particularly bad, but, even so, the idea that… all my family would be there for me through everything never really entered my head.
(small chuckle)
(lightly)
And, really, I’m lazy by nature. I could stay angry, but that takes an awful lot of energy.
(beat)
You’ve been a bit quiet, Rosie.
ROSIE
(softly, without her usual cheer)
I, uh… I was just trying not to interrupt?
CASTOR
What about your family?
ROSIE
(curtly)
I don’t really like to talk about my family.
KNOWLES
No?
ROSIE
They, uh…
(pause)
Are very Drow and expected me to be a good drow. And… I am not.
CASTOR
What does that mean?
ROSIE
(firmly)
I told you, I don’t wanna talk about it.
KNOWLES
Alright, we don’t have to.
TODE
A fascinating conversation. I did not realize there were so many different ways to think about one’s family.
KNOWLES
I’m rather curious how you think about your family.
TODE
It is the solidarity of the pack.
ZARA
Oh, right, you were raised by wolves.
KNOWLES
You… don’t know anything about your…
(beat)
Non-adoptive family?
TODE
No. I’ve never known anything but the pack.
ROSIE
What’s that like?
TODE
There is love there, but it’s mostly very practical. You take care of each other because no one else will.
KNOWLES
(amusedly)
You go back to visit your family often?
TODE
The wolves who found and raised me are generations gone, I’m afraid. The pack knows of me but… no longer consider me family proper.
ROSIE
(unhappy)
That’s so sad, though! You… really are alone.
TODE
(soothingly)
Oh no, Rosie. I am never truly alone out among the trees! And, furthermore…
(warmly)
I am certainly not alone now.
ROSIE
(softly)
Oh.
ZARA
(curiously)
How did you learn to talk?
TODE
Beg pardon?
ZARA
You were raised by wolves, and you have limited contact with people, but you talk like a professor. How did you learn how to talk?
TODE
I’ve never had any trouble understanding anyone, person or animal. Or making myself understood.
ZARA
But… who taught you Common?
TODE
Hm. Common. Is that what this language is?
CASTOR
(baffled)
Do… do you… do you not remember or…?
TODE
I don’t know that I ever learned.
KNOWLES
(confused)
But you’re talking Common to us… right now.
TODE
I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.
ZARA
Hold still and… say something.
TODE
What would you like me to say?
Magical ping.
TODE
(caught off guard)
Ooh— What was that?
ZARA
You’re talking to us…
(fascinated)
With magic.
KNOWLES
What, you’re not… moving your mouth? Saying words?
TODE
I’m making sounds with my mouth and throat!
ZARA
But… they’re not the sounds we think they are.
CASTOR
You don’t actually understand language?
TODE
I know what you’re saying.
CASTOR
Huh.
(pause)
(in Dwarvish)
Sil calledred vo ba jairido vi Dwarfis?
TODE
Berit vi ban sul vi.
KNOWLES
Whoa.
ROSIE
I wanna try!
(in Drow)
Holentyrishilen alsha, rana holenyretilen Dro?
TODE
Alsha mun, wilir relunretiley.
ZARA
(joyful)
This is fascinating!
TODE
I must say, my way of communicating seems a bit more efficient than having to learn all of these languages!
ROSIE
I’ll say!
CASTOR
This is incredible! Have you ever heard of anything like this?
ZARA
No!
TODE
(pleased)
Well! I did not expect to learn something new about myself today!
KNOWLES
See, here’s another reason to keep you around! Looks like you can translate just about anything!
TODE
I suppose I could.
KNOWLES
It’ll come in handy if we meet any…
(beat)
I don’t know, orcs?
ZARA
(dryly)
Are there a lot of orcs in Belling?
ROSIE
Most of them don’t like cities.
CASTOR
Have we… uhm…
(sigh)
Have we considered that there’s something going on there that’s… beyond our expertise?
KNOWLES
What do you mean?
ZARA
What, you mean like plain old hatred?
(sarcastically)
No, it couldn’t possibly be that!
CASTOR
Well, the world is big and complicated. Divine magic, wizardry, sorcery, demons, monsters, and, yes, even plain old hatred… that’s still not a complete picture of what could cause this feud.
(small pause)
What if we’re missing something?
KNOWLES
If it makes you feel any better? Chances are slim it’s anything else. We’ve got most things covered.
ROSIE
And if it is something else, we’ll just find out what.
ZARA
Sure! Just find out what’s causing a century-long blood feud. Easy!
CASTOR
But… when we do find out…
(beat)
What do we do?
TODE
We are not required by our agreement to do anything. Correct?
KNOWLES
Correct. Just fact-finding.
CASTOR
But…
(frustrated sigh)
What if the town’s in immediate trouble?
KNOWLES
It really depends on what kind, doesn’t it? There’s a distinct possibility that… there will be nothing we can do.
CASTOR
I… I don’t like the idea of doing nothing if there’s a way we can help.
KNOWLES
Let’s not make any grand pronouncements yet, okay? We can run the numbers once we know what’s going on.
ROSIE
(sincerely)
I bet there’ll be something we can do. We’re a great team! We’ll figure it out!
TODE
I tend to think you’re right.
ROSIE
And, afterward, when we get back, I am going to look incredible in a manticore fur cloak.
KNOWLES
Those are… very illegal. Is that what you’re doing with your payout?
ROSIE
(innocently)
I’m just making an innocuous statement.
ZARA
Do those come with the poison spines still attached?
ROSIE
(thrilled)
Some of them do!
TODE
(not as thrilled)
The poor manticore…
OUTRO (12:34):
Inn Between theme plays in the background.
TESSA
Next time, on Inn Between…
ZARA
You keep saying we’re a team but… what do we actually know about each other?
ADRINE
Back off, Carrior, or you’ll be tasting my blade!
CARRIOR
Yeah, go ahead and try it, Adrine!
KNOWLES
What is wrong with this place?
CREDITS (12:53):
HANNAH
This episode, “The Payout”, was written and directed by Hannah Wright with assistant director William Wright. The show is produced and edited by Katherine Ayers.
The voice of Castor is Caleb Del Rio. The voice of Zara is Quin Leigh. The voice of Tode is Anthony Morales. The voice of Rosie is Lucille Valentine. The voice of Knowles is JV Hampton-VanSant.
Our theme song is by Eli Hamada McIlveen and our artwork is by Gabrielle Buxman. Our transcriber is Ria Couoh.
Transcripts for this and every episode can be found on our website, thegoblinshead.com.
Find and follow us on Twitter, @inn_between_. Or support us on Patreon, at patreon.com/thegoblinshead.
If you like the show, update your Amazon wish list with all the swords you could ever want. Or leave us a review.
Thanks for listening!
Music ends.
POST-CREDITS (13:47):
Tavern sounds.
TESSA
Listen, you can try to gamble here, but the building is sentient. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “the house always wins.” Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Tavern sounds fade.
Episode ends.