Transcript – The Quiet Deep

[Quest of Ruin theme plays]

ANNOUNCER
Scroll and Dagger presents:
Quest of Ruin
Episode Nineteen
The Quiet Deep

[Theme fades to urban background noise, with sounds of stationery and dice in the foreground.]

GAME MASTER
Hello and welcome to Quest of Ruin, the post-apocalyptic fantasy roleplaying podcast. I am your host and Game Master joined once more by my players who will be starting today in the home of Balink’s parents –

WILL
Wait, should we apologise for last week?

GAME MASTER
Hm? Why?

WILL
Well, we ended kind of abruptly, didn’t we?

GINA
We didn’t do our usual goodbye.

MATT
Wait, did we not?

LEAH
No, it just kind of… ended.

MATT
I’m sure I remember doing it.

GAME MASTER
Okay, so we’re picking up from where we left off last time. You’re in your family home. Your five siblings have come in and they’re happy to see you. You agree to spend the night in the family home. Now, does anyone have any conversations or anything they want to do before we jump into the next day?

PLAYERS
No.

LEAH
I’d like to sleep in with Gyra and Fyona, if there’s room?

GAME MASTER
There is, in fact, Gyra insists on you scooting the beds together so that you can all pile in together.

LEAH
Aw, yay!

GAME MASTER
Alright, so then we start tonight’s session the next day. Mrs. Fangsnor made you all a fine breakfast, and afterwards, Mr. Fangsnor goes to work in the forge and you are all free to do as you please…

[Dice roll across the table, and the story transitions to Toor. Kids chatter, and cutlery is cleared away.]

LAETHAR
Your father said he will have my blades completed by this evening.

BALINK
Cool, so we’ve got time to hang out here today?

YAELA
Of course we do.

AIOLIN
Sounds good to me. Nice to be in a place that I can stand up in. ‘Specially in this city.

VURIETH
So, what would you like to do?

DUUN
Come play outside with us!

EM
Yes yes, come play?

BALINK
Sure! What do you wanna play?

CARSU
Well, with this many of us, we could have a real good game of Hide and Seek?

[The other children encourage this excitedly, and it fades to the sound of the outdoors.]

YAELA
Are you sure it’s wise? You know, being outside?

BALINK
Long as I stick to hiding, I think it’ll be alright.

GYRA
Can I hide with you, Binksie?

BALINK
Course you can, come on!

[They scamper off.]

CARSU
I’ll be the first seeker. Because I’m next oldest. Then Duun, then Em, and so on. Counting to 50 – now! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…

[His counting grows distant as everyone scatters. Time passes, and Laethar speaks.]

LAETHAR
Are you nearly finished with this?

BALINK
Shh! Fyona’s seeking. She still hasn’t found us.

LAETHAR
Yes, I’m aware. But it’s been more than an hour. Do you not think it’s time to call an end to it?

BALINK
Nah! Our games sometimes last hours and hours.

[Vurieth arrives.]

VURIETH
Here you are. All your siblings have gone back to the house.

BALINK
What? Fyona gave up?

VURIETH
Well, no. They got tired of waiting.

[Balink makes a sound of impatience.]

BALINK
What happened to them? Well, I suppose Fyona is still a bit young. Has she gone back too?

VURIETH
Hm? No, we assumed she was out here with you.

BALINK
No, haven’t seen her.

LAETHAR
Well, perhaps she’s on her way back now.

BALINK
Yeah. Oh, she’s not gonna be happy.

VURIETH
I’m sure she cannot take losing a game that hard.

BALINK
Hm, yeah, I suppose you’re right. It’s just, she’s always taken stuff like this a bit… seriously.

LAETHAR
I’m sure it will be fine.

BALINK
I hope so.

[In the Fangsnor home, there are sounds of uproar.]

BALINK
Fyona?

[The family calls her name, all searching for her.]

BALINK
She’s not here.

MRS. FANGSNOR
Where can she have got to? Oh, goodness, oh goodness…

[Mr. Fangsnor enters.]

MR. FANGSNOR
I can’t find any trace of her.

MRS. FANGSNOR
Oh no… oh no… what if…? You don’t think she…?

BALINK
What?

LAETHAR
Is there something going on here?

MR. FANGSNOR
There have been disappearances. A few people have gone missing lately.

YAELA
How long has this been happening?

MRS. FANGSNOR
A few weeks now, I think.

VURIETH
We will find her.

MRS. FANGSNOR
Oh no, I couldn’t ask you all to risk your –

BALINK
[firmly] Mum. We are doing this.

MRS. FANGSNOR
[sniffing] I… please be careful Binkie.

BALINK
Promise.

YAELA
What can you tell us about these disappearances?

AIOLIN
Anything in common? Did they vanish from the same places?

MR. FANGSNOR
No… I… I don’t know, I don’t think so.

LAETHAR
It’s alright. Leave it with us. We will get to the bottom of this.

MRS. FANGSNOR
Thank you!

[The door closes as they exit, and the streets of Kapulbaur are bustling.]

LAETHAR
So, I’m curious, what exactly do you think you’re going to be able to do if you’re hiding in Aiolin’s cloak?

BALINK
[whispering] I can tell you where to go and where to look, can’t I? And don’t talk to me.

VURIETH
My friend, I know you wish to keep a low profile but… well…

YAELA
You’re being ridiculous.

AIOLIN
Agreed.

BALINK
Won’t seem so ridiculous when you’re all slung in jail with me!

LAETHAR
They wouldn’t dare.

BALINK
What, you think the Governor’s gonna be scared of you lot? He’s got a whole army of guards.

AIOLIN
[audibly grinning] Yeah, but, you know, goblins.

BALINK
Watch it!

LAETHAR 
Alright, fine, so where are we going?

BALINK
Um – yes, just up there. That’s where the poster wall is.

YAELA
And you think we’ll find a clue there?

BALINK
Of course! My folks said that there’s been a few folks going missing. The posters show who’s missing or wanted by law. We can use them to see if there’s any kind of link.

AIOLIN
But wouldn’t the local law enforcement already be making those kind of connections?

BALINK
Local law enforcement?

LAETHAR
Well, yes. Like justiciars or magistrates or –

VURIETH
Those guards you keep hiding from.

BALINK
Oh, the guards don’t investigate. If they see someone breaking the law, like causing a disturbance or they see someone wanted for crimes then they’ll grab ’em. But nah, they don’t, like, ask anyone anything.

YAELA
But, how does that work?

BALINK
It doesn’t really.

[Signs creak.]

VURIETH
Here look, Balin –

BALINK
Shh!

VURIETH
Oh, sorry. He was right. Look, there are many posters for missing people here. And they all seem to have gone missing in the last few weeks.

YAELA
Is there any connection between them?

AIOLIN
Not that I can see. All different ages, all from different areas of the city. What do you think, Balink?

BALINK
Let’s see… no. I mean, I don’t know all of these folks but, I don’t know. Far as I can tell, there’s nothing similar between them. It’s not like they’re all poor folks that no one would miss. That one there, Dalinuk, he’s the son of the Curator of Inventions.

LAETHAR
Wait, the son of a high ranking official goes missing, and no one is looking for him?

BALINK
I mean, if someone fell over him, I’m sure they’d tell someone.

LAETHAR
This place is ridiculous.

VURIETH
So, what does this tell us?

YAELA
It tells us that the people who are going missing are completely random.

AIOLIN
Which doesn’t exactly help us.

LAETHAR
Not so much, no.

[They move away.]

VURIETH
What is our next move?

YAELA
I don’t really know. Without some sort of connection, we don’t have anything to go on.

BEGGAR
If you’re looking for a connection, you ain’t looking hard enough.

[Laethar makes a noise of surprise.]

VURIETH
Where did you come from?

BEGGAR
Oh, I’ve been following you for some time.

YAELA
That’s impossible, I would have noticed.

BEGGAR
Maybe you’re not as good a tracker as you think, she-fae.

YAELA
You –

BEGGAR
Or maybe, I just have a strong sense of self-preservation.

AIOLIN
Was there something we can help you with?

LAETHAR
Oh Aiolin, don’t engage with her.

BEGGAR
It’s not what I want, mate, it’s what you want. Namely, finding the sister of that fellow you’re trying to hide.

[There’s a muffled yelp from inside Aiolin’s cloak.]

BEGGAR
Oh, relax. No one else has seen you.

VURIETH
Can you help us find his sister?

BEGGAR
I can. I know exactly where she and all the others have disappeared off to. And I can show you where they are.

LAETHAR
Yes, well, as trustworthy as you seem, I think we shall have to say thank you but no thank you.

YAELA
Hold on a moment.

LAETHAR
Oh, you can’t be serious.

YAELA
Laethar, we have no leads. If you have a better idea, I am happy to hear it.

[Laethar does not respond.]

YAELA
… alright then. So where are they?

BEGGAR
In a place of untold danger, deep beneath the mountain.

BALINK
[muffled] Oh, why is that not surprising?

BEGGAR
I can show you the way. But we must go quickly.

AIOLIN
Wait a minute. Now, I’m happy for the lead, but I’m with Laethar. How do we know we can trust you?

BEGGAR
You don’t. But like your friend said, you don’t have any better options.

VURIETH
But, why would you help us? And, if you know where these people are, why haven’t you told anyone?

BEGGAR
No one here could do anything. Too closely bound, one way or the other. You lot, though, apart from the Ashlander, you’re all relatively free. I’m just playing the game.

VURIETH
Excuse me?

BEGGAR
Look, time is a factor, so if you’re done asking questions, we should go.

[Inside the pit, the cave wall drips as the party’s voices echo.]

LAETHAR
Going into a deep, dark cave on the advice of a mad homeless woman. Even by our standards, this is hair-brained.

VURIETH
I am slightly worried that she refused to come with us.

YAELA
She’s clearly not a fighter. If she’s telling the truth, then she’s already provided us with plenty of help.

LAETHAR
Yes. If she’s telling the truth.

AIOLIN
Well, I think we can handle whatever might be in here if she was lying.

LAETHAR
I wish I had your confidence.

BALINK
I think she was telling the truth.

VURIETH
What makes you say that?

BALINK
I don’t know, just… she seemed to be honest. Tell you who she reminded me of, though. That Teshaaaaaaaaa!

[There’s a small impact as the fall ends.]

AIOLIN
Balink! Are you alright?

BALINK
[echoing distantly] Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Wasn’t that far. There’s a tunnel here though.

YAELA
Well, don’t go off until we get down.

[Silence.]

YAELA
Binks, did you hear me?

[The silence continues.]

YAELA
[sighing] Great.

AIOLIN
Come on, if we’re quick, we can catch up.

[Vurieth, Yaela, Laethar and Aiolin run to try and catch up with Balink.]

YAELA
Can you see him?

VURIETH
Not yet.

LAETHAR
Well, keep your eyes open. We don’t want to lose each other as well.

AIOLIN
Least this cave is a decent size.

VURIETH
How far do you think it goes?

LAETHAR
Further than I would like. And looking for two goblins in this gloom is going to be…

[Their voices echo further as the cave widens.]

LAETHAR ctd.
… absolutely damned impossible!

VURIETH
This is the same cave?

YAELA
I can’t even make out the other side.

AIOLIN
This is impossible. We didn’t go that deep underground. A cave this size, there’d have to be evidence above ground. We’d have seen it.

LAETHAR
So you say, but I can see evidence that it is possible.

YAELA
How are we going to find Binks in here?

VURIETH
I cannot see any sign of him.

LAETHAR
For now we have to stick together. It’ll be easy to get lost in here and… where’s Aiolin?

VURIETH
I… did not see him. He was just here. Did you see… Yaela? Yaela! She’s gone… Laethar? Oh no!

[Elsewhere in the cave, Balink wanders, searching for his sister.]

BALINK
[voice echoing] Hello? Fyona?

THE ECHO
Balink?

BALINK
…hello?

THE ECHO
Hello.

BALINK
Where is everyone? Where’s my s –

THE ECHO
Sister?

BALINK
Yeah!

THE ECHO 
She’s here. In the quiet.

BALINK
Huh?

THE ECHO
You can find her, if you like. Would you like to?

BALINK
Of course I do!

THE ECHO
Just this way then.

[Goblin feet run. Elsewhere, Yaela wanders, searching for her friends.]

YAELA
Laethar? Binks?

THE ECHO
Hello, Yaela.

YAELA
Who are you? What are you doing?

THE ECHO
Doing? I’m doing nothing. Would you like to be with your friends?

YAELA
What? …yes.

THE ECHO
Keep going then. It’s just a short way.

[Elsewhere, Laethar wanders, searching for his friends.]

LAETHAR
Ashlander? Vurieth? Yaela?

THE ECHO
Laethar Monrunn. This is a real pleasure.

LAETHAR
Who said that?

THE ECHO
That doesn’t matter, son of Ithilim. But I’m happy to find you here.

LAETHAR
Where are the others? What have you done with them?

THE ECHO
I’ve done nothing, Lord of Narolin. They are here, with you.

LAETHAR
Why can’t I find them?

THE ECHO
You need only follow the quiet. Follow me, Gwanur.

LAETHAR
What did you –

THE ECHO
This way.

[They fade to quiet, and elsewhere, Aiolin wanders, searching for his friends.]

AIOLIN
I don’t know what’s causing this, but when I find you –

[The echo speaks in a male voice.]

“SONRAI”
Fascinating, isn’t it?

AIOLIN
What?

“SONRAI”
You can’t tell me you’re not interested in the root of this phenomenon, Skullfumpa.

AIOLIN
No. No, you’re not him. He’s dead! You’re not my master!

[The echo’s voice becomes a distorted female voice.]

“AIOLIN’S MOTHER”
I’m sorry, Aiolin, I didn’t mean to upset you.

AIOLIN
Oh, come on.

“AIOLIN’S MOTHER”
All your little friends are here. You just need to follow the quiet, dear.

AIOLIN
So, what, are you a Haunting? No, no. If you were, then I’d be seeing something. And I’d be angry.

“AIOLIN’S MOTHER”
I don’t want you angry, dear. I just want to keep you safe.

[Elsewhere, Vurieth wanders, searching for their friends.]

VURIETH
Yaela? Laethar? Aiolin? Why do these things keep happening to me? Balink?

THE ECHO
You can go.

VURIETH
What?

THE ECHO
There is nothing for you here. You may leave.

VURIETH
I shall be happy to. Once I’ve found my friends.

THE ECHO
Your friends have a place here. You, though, you do not carry the quiet. There is too much within you. And you are already tied elsewhere.

VURIETH
What do you mean? Where am I tied?

THE ECHO
[impatiently] You are not of here. Go!

[Elsewhere, Balink searches.]

BALINK
[echoing] Fyona! Fyona, where are you?

FYONA
I’m here.

BALINK
Oh, thank Gorrik! Come on, we gotta get out of here!

FYONA 
Why?

BALINK
What?

FYONA
Well, it’s… nice here. It’s just me.

BALINK
Yeah, exactly. You don’t want that, do you?

FYONA
Of course I do. You haven’t been around Balink. You don’t know what it’s like. Having everyone around all the time. And all of them are more important than me.

BALINK
You can’t think that.

FYONA
Yes I can! Everyone is more important than me! Carsu is always working with dad or practicing fighting – Mama says he’s gonna be the first honest proper town’s guard when he grows up!

BALINK
Fyona…

FYONA
All Duun and Em do is mess around but everyone thinks they’re really funny.

BALINK
Fyona…

FYONA
And Gyra is the littlest! She’s cute and sweet and everyone wants to take care of her. But no one wants to take care of me!

BALINK
That’s not true, Fy. Everyone came looking for you!

FYONA
How long did it take you to notice I was gone?

BALINK
I dunno, I was hiding.

FYONA
I don’t even remember how long I’ve been away, but it feels like ages.

BALINK
Come home, Fy.

FYONA
No. I’m staying here. It’s nice! It’s special.

BALINK
Fy, I came to get you. Come with me.

FYONA
Just – leave me alone, Balink. You can go off with your friends. I’m sure they’re missing you.

[Elsewhere, Yaela searches.]

YAELA
I’m getting tired of this!

THE ECHO
Not surprising. You’ve been tired for a long time.

YAELA
What do you –

THE ECHO
Having to stay here, in the mortal realm. So drab, without the vigour of the fae and all for a so-called friend who doesn’t appreciate what you do.

YAELA
That’s not fair.

THE ECHO
That’s a lie. And you know it’s a lie. But you’re so determined to believe it.

YAELA
… it has been hard.

THE ECHO
It has. You deserve a rest.

YAELA
Well, maybe I can… just for a little while.

THE ECHO
Of course. Take all the time you need.

[Elsewhere, Aiolin searches.]

AIOLIN
I’m not listening to you.

[The echo speaks with that female voice.]

“AIOLIN’S MOTHER”
Why? I’m just trying to keep you safe.

AIOLIN
Enough! You’re not my mother. And you’re not my master either.

[The echo drops the female voice, and returns to its initial voice.]

THE ECHO
I never claimed to be. I just wish you to be comfortable, and thought you’d appreciate something familiar.

AIOLIN
Well don’t. I don’t know what you are, but I don’t need you in my head.

[Yaela’s voice seems to call out, distorted and echoing.]

“YAELA”
Aiolin? Aiolin, is that you?

AIOLIN
Yaela?

“YAELA”
Aiolin! Come quick, you have to help me find the others!

[Elsewhere, Laethar searches.]

THE ECHO
You blame yourself.

LAETHAR
Oh, be quiet!

THE ECHO
No no, I understand. You’re quite right, it was your fault.

LAETHAR
What?

THE ECHO
All of it. The War, the aftermath, all of it because you did not act fast enough… because of what you did.

LAETHAR
I…

THE ECHO
They don’t know, do they? Your friends. Even Yaela doesn’t know the whole story. I wonder how they would react if they found out.

[Laethar’s walk slows. Elsewhere, Balink talks with Fyona.]

BALINK
Please, Fy? Come on.

FYONA
No! I like it here! It’s – it’s…

BALINK
Tell me one good thing about being here and I’ll think about it.

FYONA
I… I’m happy here.

BALINK
Nope! Not good enough.

[Balink tugs at her, and she resists.]

BALINK
Come on, come home!

THE ECHO
You could stay here too, Binks.

BALINK
Huh?

FYONA
Yeah, you can stay! You can’t go home anyway, you can stay with me!

BALINK
But just a second ago you were telling me to go away…

FYONA
Well, now I want you to stay.

THE ECHO
What is there for you out there, really? Suspicion. Monsters. A constant struggle to get by.

BALINK
… It has been hard. Really hard.

THE ECHO
There are days, aren’t there? When you wished that you didn’t have to wake.

FYONA
That you could just stay in the dark, be comfortable?

BALINK
… I suppose I could stay for a bit.

[Elsewhere, Aiolin walks.]

AIOLIN
Y’know, in a way, it’s a shame you’re just some disembodied voice.

THE ECHO
Why is that?

AIOLIN
If you were corporeal I’d have smacked you by now. Pretending to be Yaela. What did you think would happen?

[There is silence.]

AIOLIN
What, nothing to say?

THE ECHO
You do not make sense.

AIOLIN
I get that a lot.

THE ECHO
I see your mind. All you have been through, everything and everyone you have ever loved taken from you. And yet, you continue on. You know the pain, yet you do not feel it?

AIOLIN
You clearly have much to learn about the strength of orcs.

THE ECHO
… Maybe so…

AIOLIN
Now, get lost!

[Elsewhere, Vurieth walks.]

VURIETH
Can anyone hear me?

[Rocks scrape and crack.]

VURIETH
What the…

[More rocks crack and shift.]

VURIETH
I do not understand. I came from this path. There should be a way through…

THE ECHO
You were told to leave.

VURIETH
You are trapping me!

THE ECHO
I am showing you.

VURIETH
Showing me what?

THE ECHO
The way out.

VURIETH
I mean to find my friends first.

THE ECHO
They will be staying here.

VURIETH
I think not. We shall all be leaving.

THE ECHO
They shall never see the sun again. They belong to the Quiet Oblivion now.

VURIETH
What – wait… I know that… how do I know what that is?

THE ECHO
Because you are bonded elsewhere. And that is why you cannot be here!

VURIETH
You sound nervous – I think you cannot affect me, and that worries you. Well, if you have nothing to add –

[Vurieth begins to incant, and rock explodes.]

AIOLIN
What was that? Hello?

VURIETH
[coughing] Aiolin?

AIOLIN
I swear, if this is another one of your tricks.

VURIETH
No trick, my friend. You see? It is me.

AIOLIN
Belakh, it’s good to see you. I feel like I’ve been wandering around down here for hours.

VURIETH
We may have been. I think whatever force is down here is affecting our minds.

AIOLIN
Well, it certainly seems to have shut up since you came along.

VURIETH
It doesn’t affect me. It says I am bonded elsewhere.

AIOLIN
What does that mean?

VURIETH
… Oh, I do not know. But for now, I have decided not to question it.

AIOLIN
Probably wise. Any clue where the others might be?

VURIETH
I’m afraid I do not – agh!

[Vurieth trips and stumbles.]

AIOLIN
Vurieth!

VURIETH
[audibly wincing] I’m fine. I merely tripped over somethi – Yaela?

YAELA
Leave me alone. I’m done.

AIOLIN
What are you talking about?

YAELA
I can’t go on anymore. I’m tired. So tired of every day, fighting just to survive. I think… I think I’d rather just stay here.

VURIETH
Come on, Yaela. You can’t remain here, we need you.

YAELA
I’m tired of being needed. Binks needs me to keep him out of trouble, Laethar needs me to remind him of who he really is, you need me to keep you safe in places you don’t know… I – I can’t do it anymore.

VURIETH
Yaela…

AIOLIN
This isn’t good. Whatever’s in this place must have gotten to her.

VURIETH
But what can we do?

AIOLIN
We need find Laethar. He might know a way to bring her around.

VURIETH
I… yes, you’re right.

AIOLIN
You think you’ll be able to find him?

VURIETH
I am not sure but I think I might have the best chance.

[Vurieth begins to run.]

VURIETH
Stay with her until I return.

AIOLIN
Right.

THE ECHO
There’s nothing you can do.

AIOLIN
Oh, shut up!

[Vurieth runs through the cave, searching.]

VURIETH
Laethar? Laethar? Laethar! There you are.

LAETHAR
Oh. Ashlander. There you are.

VURIETH
Thank the Wanderer I found you. We need your help.

LAETHAR
No you don’t.

VURIETH
What?

LAETHAR
You don’t need my help. Nobody does. Anyone I’ve tried to help has ended up worse for it.

THE ECHO
Don’t waste your time, Ashlander. He has given himself to the quiet despair.

LAETHAR
[muttering] Narolin. Alaric. Halathar. Oh, brother –

VURIETH
Laethar, stop! You know none of this is true. And you are not the sort of person to let this bring you low. You are too strong for that.

LAETHAR
Leave me be, Vurieth. There is nothing I can do.

VURIETH
No. I will not. The Laethar I know would not cower here in the dark when his friend needed him.

LAETHAR
What?

VURIETH
Yaela needs your help.

LAETHAR
Yaela’s… in trouble?

VURIETH
I think so. And after all she has done for you, everything she has put up with, I think you owe her this!

LAETHAR
I… yes – yes, you’re right, Ashlander. Lead the way!

[Vurieth and Laethar run, and the Echo lets out a hiss of frustration. They arrive, moving towards Yaela and Aiolin.]

LAETHAR
Yaela…

YAELA
Oh, hello Laethar. So what do you need this time?

VURIETH
So no better then?

AIOLIN
Doesn’t look that way, no.

LAETHAR
I heard you were in trouble.

YAELA
No. No trouble. I’m quite content, actually. In fact, you can head off, I’ll stay here.

LAETHAR
Don’t be silly. We can’t leave without you.

YAELA
Why? Because you need me along? Because I’m the only one who’ll tolerate you anymore? Because I’ll stay with you while you stride around insulting people? Because of some stupid hope that my friend is still in there somewhere, buried under all that spite?

[There is a prolonged awkward silence.]

AIOLIN
We should go find Balink.

VURIETH
… Yes. Yes, let’s go.

[Aiolin and Vurieth leave.]

LAETHAR
Yaela. You are the greatest friend I could have asked for. I know it can be difficult dealing with me sometimes. I suppose, after we lost the War… well, I went to pieces. And I got so used to relying on you until I started taking your strength for granted. I’m sorry. But this place is not good for you – I think it’s feeding on our worst thoughts somehow. We need to leave, all of us. But, once we’re out, if you wish to go your own way, I won’t object.

[Aiolin calls for Balink distantly.]

LAETHAR
So, what do you say?

[Dice roll and clatter at the gaming table. The clock ticks. The Game Master exhales slowly.]

GAME MASTER
That was close.

[The end theme plays and the Announcer recites the credits]