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Rough Night at The Running Bear Casino (PAGE 2 of 2)
PAGE 2 of 2 **** * **** Hussein nudged his brother Iqbal and aimed his chin toward the bar. “Look, a fat, stupid American has finally managed some success.” Iqbal smirked, “It is the only way the infidels can succeed. They have no education and no skills to do anything useful. They don’t even worship their own God anymore, only money and fame. They will soon learn better…” The brothers were out enjoying a night of revelry, with a few more planned when they reached the city. The celebrations were a last reward before they fulfilled their mission and achieved True Paradise through martyrdom. Hussein was superstitious and hoped to find success at gambling before they took the great risk that if successful, would help to sustain their cause. They’d grown up in this land of debauchery and foolishness but had been taught from the first to honor their own Beliefs and culture above anything the Americans professed. Hussein was on roll number five of what he intended to be a short run. He wished to win five times for the Five Pillars of Islam, the name of his cell in the latest great Jihad. He blew on the dice and tossed. The small cubes bounced against the back side of the pit and tumbled end over end as he watched breathlessly. “Another ten!” the barker called. And pushed the winnings toward Hussein. He placed a minimum bet and rolled once more. He had already left the table before the barker called, “Snakeyes! Next roller please.” He held up his chips triumphantly, “Iqbal, more money from roll number five! I kept the bet in place for five rolls, I left only the minimum for the last roll, it is a Sign! We are fated to succeed. We will meet the others tomorrow, go over the plan, and then have a few last nights to revel in this world…” Iqbal patted his brother on the shoulder, “There is something I would like more than winning chips. He nodded toward the bar and the attractive and sinuous young local who worked behind it, steadily polishing glasses. Hussein watched for a moment, unsure whether his brother meant the alcoholic drinks that had been forbidden until now or the woman. Knowing Iqbal, he assumed both. “As you wish brother. Take your mortal enjoyments while you can. She looks a little sullen though, frown, lowered brows, I like the happy ones.” Iqbal’s serpent-like smile widened, “She will look better when I have freed her from the miseries of the uncircumcised. She will enjoy a real man. Who knows? Maybe I will convert her so that we can meet again in Paradise.” With that, he surged away from his brother and slithered up to the bar opposite the young First Nations maid. “Good evening, I noticed that you do not have many customers at the bar. It seems odd that so beautiful a creature as yourself would not attract more company.” The woman ignored him, intently focused on her task. He tried again, “Perhaps I must order a drink to remain at the bar? If so, a gin and tonic if you please.” She continued to polish the glass. He leaned forward, “Did you hear me?” he inquired in an annoyed tone. “Perhaps you have no business because you are surly and unhelpful.” She looked at him and delivered a smirk that appeared to be far more evil than anything he could ever hope to muster, despite his thin, reptilian lips and predatory mind, “We don’t want customers to linger at the bar, getting drunk and building from misery to anger over their losses. We want them playing… and losing.” She leaned toward him and glared into his own eyes that he normally considered flinty and daunting. “You know about losing, don’t you?” Hussein noted that the large man at the end of the bar in the “Security” shirt had begun stumping toward them. “Iqbal, perhaps it is time to go look for other entertainment.” Iqbal ignored him, he was trapped in the serpent’s gaze, like a mouse dropped into a snake’s tank to be devoured while its owner watched with perverse interest. Hussein reached for his brother to tug at his arm but never got the chance. The big security officer seized his hand, drew it to his too wide chest and turned. The weight of the man drew him away from his brother and caused him to spin around so that he ended up facing the goon with his brother beyond the man and in the clutches of the Serpent Woman. The ham-fisted gargantuan continued to twist the hand he gripped until the pressure caused Hussein sever pain. He grunted and bent into the angle of his wrist to relieve the distress. He found himself bent forward and looking up desperately toward the man’s face. The security staffer smiled, his square, blunt teeth showing dark behind an almost lipless mouth. His wide back and chest, covered in body armor under his shirt made him appear like a monster-sized… Turtle. Hussein felt himself lifted and placed behind the bar. His brother soon slithered over the top and fell to the floor beside him, smiling beatifically. Hussein opened his mouth to scream for help, but a large, blunt fist crashed into the side of his head and he saw stars… seven of them, like the Holy... The fist descended once more, and he saw only darkness. **** * **** Fr. Danilo Bayani was immensely enjoying his latest trip to the continental USA. He had visited Hawaii many years ago, and New York City more recently, but this was his first tour of the grand landbound spaces that this country offered. He’d managed to roam so far from his origins in Manila. Now, in his twilight years, he longed to see what he could of God’s Green Earth. All on the payroll of The Vatican while they cleanse the records of those hateful… allegations. The bitter thoughts raced across his mind. Of course he was a sinner, he was only mortal. He’d been expiated of those sins and had paid an enormous price to continue serving in his capacity as a parish priest. He forced his mind to return to the moment and more enjoyable pursuits. He noted the hirsute and similar appearing pair of men who had gone to the bar and wondered why the Security officer approached them, but his attention was called once more to the round of Texas Hold’em and his table mates. When he again had a moment to look, no one was at the bar, in front or behind… curious, he thought, but he quickly refocused his attention on the fascinating new game he was in the process of learning. He was familiar with Poker, so it wasn’t difficult to learn. He liked the high level of interaction that this version of the old game allowed. He’d done well, certainly gained enough to fund extracurricular activities during the rest of his current sabbatical. He’d been disturbed by the overall atmosphere of this place when he’d arrived. He did not care for the numerous paintings and sculptures of Ancient Native Deities and Spirits. They seemed to be mostly images of the Dark Beings of various Tribal cultures. He loved to study diverse cultures, but this place was an amalgamation of cultures, built for mutual support by several Tribes in the region. Much of the artwork was schlocky and clearly intended to cater to the garish and sordid tastes of the vapid gambling set. Some part of him did not feel… welcome, as though he had intruded on some private Place, set aside for Other Gods. He shook off the depressing musings… There areNO Other Gods, he reassured himself. He soon stepped away from the table to take care of personal needs and to decide what he should do with the rest of his night. Perhaps he would visit the White Dove Restaurant & Ballroom on the other side of the hotel lobby from the casino. It boasted a good reputation according to online reviews, even though it was a simple buffet style with a dance floor to one side. He liked the name, it was… peaceful he decided. He soon had a selection of food piled onto a plate and was seated near the dance floor. The place was sparsely occupied, so his hopes of being able to watch dancers as he ate were dashed. Still, the food was good enough. A little bland, but that was necessary in a place that acted as a crossroads of cultures. There was a spice table at the end of the primary row of entrees. He’d helped himself, yet nothing seemed to attach to his taste buds. The combination of eating nearly alone, having no one with energy around him, and the tasteless food soon had him growing restless. He finished up his repast and left the table to go out to the final section of the complex he had not visited, the River Overlook. As he passed the table nearest the entrance, he saw a stout man in a rumpled sport coat, who glared daggers at him, eyes focused on his crucifix, the only outward sign of his profession. The man appeared to be so hostile, that he paused for a moment to determine whether he’d done anything to offend the fellow. “Excuse me sir, have I offended you in some way?” The man looked startled. He was apparently unused to being confronted about his demeanor or behavior. He scowled, “Don’t like that thing you have around your neck. You Catholics are all Hell-bound. No concept of righteousness. Not that you’d understand, you people don’t even read The Book. You listen to your priests and pope and disregard The Word. All the kneeling and ritual prayers in the world won’t save you in the end. Go back to your idols and beads and leave me alone to seek Heaven.” Fr. Bayani was startled by the vehemence with which the man spoke. He hadn’t been attacked directly for his Faith in years. “Sir, I’m not sure what Religion you practice, but I am a man of God, a consecrated priest of the Holy Church. I assure you that I understand more than most, if not as much as I would like. I meant no harm and wish you a peaceful night.” With that, he started to walk past the man, but the man rose from his table and pointed his finger, “Your pope is the Anti-Christ, and your Church is a place of Satan! Look to the Bible for your salvation before it’s too late.” Fr. Bayani increased his pace and continued on his journey to the River Overlook. He would need the peace and tranquility that nature and the sound of flowing water would provide to settle his roiling mind. **** * **** Pastor Bill resumed his seat and shook his head, “Fool, doesn’t know that he’s risking his soul, courting Damnation.” He’d had a bad run at the tables over at the casino. His Denomination frowned on games of chance, but he had needed the money. One of his congregation had come up pregnant and they had to get it resolved before the three-month deadline for abortions. He knew that if his wife found out about Carmen, then she would divorce him. He was here to break every major rule that he professed to hold dear each week. His plan for quick money had failed, so he’d visited the bar. Now he hoped that eating would guide him back to sobriety. He had to think of another plan. Seeing that… priest had annoyed him. Had he not been inebriated, he would never have said what he did, nor stared so rudely in the first place. Yet he wanted someone on whom to vent the anger he felt, that arose from fear and he’d always disliked the papists. If his wife divorced him, if the scandal involving the woman who cleaned the church all week and then occupied the back pew every Sunday ever broke; he would lose his ministry, his livelihood. His degree in Theology would be worthless. He might be able to get a job teaching, at some secular school, but most would not hire fervent Christians like himself. He stared dejectedly at his plate of food that had contained more spice and flavors than he liked, a shadow passed in his periphery. It was low-slung and blurred just a bit as it loped along the wall. He thought he heard an odd laugh, somewhere between human and… canine? Maybe a little like a hyena might sound, or so he imagined. There was a manic quality to the laughter. A jest that was on him so that only the other Entity knew what it was. It was the wicked laughter of children at play, who’d decided to target a fat kid with glasses.A kid whose parents had been abusive addicts but who later “got right” through religious-based recovery programs.Their faith had led him to his own, but he’d never really lost those early traumas of being unaccepted by his peers and being beaten by people who later professed faith above all. A mocking whine, definitely doggish, his now sobering consciousness informed him. Something was making fun of him, teasing him from the shadows. He looked around for staff members or other customers but found himself alone. The dining area and the dance floor were deserted. It was odd, there was almost always someone at the buffet service tables. He looked over to the kitchen doors in hopes that one of the employees would burst through with a fresh serving of chicken wings or whatever tray had been emptied. He saw dark figures move past the clouded round windows on the swinging doors and temporarily occlude the bright kitchen lights within, but they were indistinct blobs, and appeared to be focused on tasks of their own choosing rather than service of his needs. He stood and realized that he was more intoxicated than he’d realized. He immediately resumed his seat and bent forward to regain his balance and bearings… and to swallow his rising gorge. When he sat up again, a dark, shaggy form perched in the chair across from him. The figure was no more than a silhouette, a raggedly hewn shadow. Yet there were eyes. Sinister golden gleams appeared and blinked at him. He heard a heavy, panting sort of breathing and a gust of foul-smelling carnivore breath assaulted his olfactory senses. “Who? Er, what are you doing at my table?” he asked in a mushy, confused manner. Still fighting off waves of nausea. He could not see it very well in the poorly illuminated dining room, but his impression was that the... Being… smiled at him: a gaping, lolling smile, with a tongue dangling out to one side and sharp canines gleaming. “I thought I would check on you my righteous friend. You seem to be upset, unhappy. You nipped and barked at that other person who shares your Faith. I thought perhaps there was a deeper concern preying on your conscience?” Pastor Bill had to force himself to think through what this… person? Had said to him. Likely some hippie-dippy weirdo. “That guy was a Catholic priest, we’re nowhere near the same Religion.” Once more he heard the chortling laughter that was now very clear, “I’m sure you think it’s different. Those of his specific religion, came to these lands many years ago. They were the first of you Christians to arrive. The rest have been simple variations on a theme. The problems began, when your co-religionists assumed that only your God exists; that all of the local Gods and Spirits were instead Demons and Dark Powers. Instead of trying to show that yours is a better Way, you Christians insisted that yours is the only Way. You’ve forgotten that in Ancient Times, people held True to Deities who were attached to local communities or to the land and features around them; geographically and ethnically relevant. You have gone from subsuming and incorporating Older Gods as Angels and Saints, to Demonizing Them, and now in your hubris, to denying Them altogether.” He shook His head. “Too bad really, it creates an Adversarial relationship.” He chuckled at some joke that Pastor Bill was still too drunk to comprehend. Pastor Bill had grown increasingly fearful as the Voice intoned Its Philosophies. He wanted to refute that Voice, to deny Its very Existence. Yet he feared Its Wrath more than anything he’d ever feared, even the Fires of Hell. Instead of making a stand and arguing his faith, he staggered to his feet and ran, stumbled, blindly toward the kitchen and the pale, ghostly figures within. Surely someone within would save him! The sardonic laughter chortled after him and chased him into the too bright lights, descending into the yips and howls of Coyote even as the doors swung shut behind him. He looked around at the glowing white figures who halted in their various progresses to stare at him. Their eyes! There were none, just empty sockets, faces slack, with gaping, lamprey maws. He heard a new sound as they swarmed him… his own forlorn screams of ultimate agony. **** * **** Fr. Bayani stood out on the River Overlook platform and enjoyed the solitude that had so recently left him restless. There were plenty of noises out across the flowing torrent: the water itself, as it passed over hidden objects, fish as they leapt from its embrace to kiss the night air, frogs and insects, and the warbling, mournful sounds of a loon, and the soft sigh of the wind as it passed through the verdant landscape. This is much more peaceful than the White Dove he thought. He had some trouble shaking off ruminations on the verbal assault from the strange, possibly drunken man in the restaurant. He decided that he would pray for the man, that he would one day soon find The True Faith. Sometimes that was all one could do for the short-sighted. He heard a deep, coughing hiss out in the dark. He was startled but quickly realized that it was an American Alligator, cousin to creatures he had observed in many places around the planet. He was truly content, at one with Nature in all Her Glory… in all the natural splendor of Creation! he immediately corrected himself. A sound impinged on his senses as it slowly rose and obscured the others… it was a lapping sound at first, more like ocean waves on a beach than the banks of a river. Waves, at cross purposes to the flow of the river, slapped at the base of the platform. Soon they sounds evolved into splashes, as if something very large approached the River Overlook platform. He leaned over the rail to have a closer look. Perhaps it was a large water creature or a boat… maybe a ‘gator as the locals called the big reptiles. He peered down at the dim rippling surface below. At first, he was unable to discern anything but small reflections on the water as it swirled and lapped; then from below the surface, he spotted an eye, a too large eye! It glowed from within with a sickly luminescence akin to that produced by deep growing fungi. As he stared in horror, he saw a mouth gape below the eye, and enormous frog-like opening with no teeth but serrated lips, like some monstrous catfish. As he stared, too much in shock to act, he suddenly felt his body wrapped in strong, leprous flesh and he quickly lost his ability to breathe. The last sight he saw before he plunged over the safety rail was the thin, grey, first light of dawn. **** * **** Chief Harry Whitehorse gazed around at his fellow chiefs and Shamans from various local Tribes, “So, are The Dark Ones satisfied once again? Have They sated their appetites on strangers so that our peoples will be safe for another year?” Affirmative rumbles muttered around the conference room. Red Wolf, a Shaman, spoke from near the back row, “They are not only satisfied but Coyote assures us that the prey people will not be linked with our premises or business operations.” Most of the fresh mutters sounded pleased, but old Harry had to ask, “Can we trust Him?” Chortling laughter sounded throughout the conference room and ascended into thunderous yips and howls of hysterical glee.
Rough Night at the Running Bear Casino (PAGE 2 of 2)
**** * **** Hussein nudged his brother Iqbal and aimed his chin toward the bar. “Look, a fat, stupid American has finally managed some success.” Iqbal smirked, “It is the only way the infidels can succeed. They have no education and no skills to do anything useful. They don’t even worship their own God anymore, only money and fame. They will soon learn better…” The brothers were out enjoying a night of revelry, with a few more planned when they reached the city. The celebrations were a last reward before they fulfilled their mission and achieved True Paradise through martyrdom. Hussein was superstitious and hoped to find success at gambling before they took the great risk that if successful, would help to sustain their cause. They’d grown up in this land of debauchery and foolishness but had been taught from the first to honor their own Beliefs and culture above anything the Americans professed. Hussein was on roll number five of what he intended to be a short run. He wished to win five times for the Five Pillars of Islam, the name of his cell in the latest great Jihad. He blew on the dice and tossed. The small cubes bounced against the back side of the pit and tumbled end over end as he watched breathlessly. “Another ten!” the barker called. And pushed the winnings toward Hussein. He placed a minimum bet and rolled once more. He had already left the table before the barker called, “Snakeyes! Next roller please.” He held up his chips triumphantly, “Iqbal, more money from roll number five! I kept the bet in place for five rolls, I left only the minimum for the last roll, it is a Sign! We are fated to succeed. We will meet the others tomorrow, go over the plan, and then have a few last nights to revel in this world…” Iqbal patted his brother on the shoulder, “There is something I would like more than winning chips. He nodded toward the bar and the attractive and sinuous young local who worked behind it, steadily polishing glasses. Hussein watched for a moment, unsure whether his brother meant the alcoholic drinks that had been forbidden until now or the woman. Knowing Iqbal, he assumed both. “As you wish brother. Take your mortal enjoyments while you can. She looks a little sullen though, frown, lowered brows, I like the happy ones.” Iqbal’s serpent-like smile widened, “She will look better when I have freed her from the miseries of the uncircumcised. She will enjoy a real man. Who knows? Maybe I will convert her so that we can meet again in Paradise.” With that, he surged away from his brother and slithered up to the bar opposite the young First Nations maid. “Good evening, I noticed that you do not have many customers at the bar. It seems odd that so beautiful a creature as yourself would not attract more company.” The woman ignored him, intently focused on her task. He tried again, “Perhaps I must order a drink to remain at the bar? If so, a gin and tonic if you please.” She continued to polish the glass. He leaned forward, “Did you hear me?” he inquired in an annoyed tone. “Perhaps you have no business because you are surly and unhelpful.” She looked at him and delivered a smirk that appeared to be far more evil than anything he could ever hope to muster, despite his thin, reptilian lips and predatory mind, “We don’t want customers to linger at the bar, getting drunk and building from misery to anger over their losses. We want them playing… and losing.” She leaned toward him and glared into his own eyes that he normally considered flinty and daunting. “You know about losing, don’t you?” Hussein noted that the large man at the end of the bar in the “Security” shirt had begun stumping toward them. “Iqbal, perhaps it is time to go look for other entertainment.” Iqbal ignored him, he was trapped in the serpent’s gaze, like a mouse dropped into a snake’s tank to be devoured while its owner watched with perverse interest. Hussein reached for his brother to tug at his arm but never got the chance. The big security officer seized his hand, drew it to his too wide chest and turned. The weight of the man drew him away from his brother and caused him to spin around so that he ended up facing the goon with his brother beyond the man and in the clutches of the Serpent Woman. The ham-fisted gargantuan continued to twist the hand he gripped until the pressure caused Hussein sever pain. He grunted and bent into the angle of his wrist to relieve the distress. He found himself bent forward and looking up desperately toward the man’s face. The security staffer smiled, his square, blunt teeth showing dark behind an almost lipless mouth. His wide back and chest, covered in body armor under his shirt made him appear like a monster-sized… Turtle. Hussein felt himself lifted and placed behind the bar. His brother soon slithered over the top and fell to the floor beside him, smiling beatifically. Hussein opened his mouth to scream for help, but a large, blunt fist crashed into the side of his head and he saw stars… seven of them, like the Holy... The fist descended once more, and he saw only darkness. **** * **** Fr. Danilo Bayani was immensely enjoying his latest trip to the continental USA. He had visited Hawaii many years ago, and New York City more recently, but this was his first tour of the grand landbound spaces that this country offered. He’d managed to roam so far from his origins in Manila. Now, in his twilight years, he longed to see what he could of God’s Green Earth. All on the payroll of The Vatican while they cleanse the records of those hateful… allegations. The bitter thoughts raced across his mind. Of course he was a sinner, he was only mortal. He’d been expiated of those sins and had paid an enormous price to continue serving in his capacity as a parish priest. He forced his mind to return to the moment and more enjoyable pursuits. He noted the hirsute and similar appearing pair of men who had gone to the bar and wondered why the Security officer approached them, but his attention was called once more to the round of Texas Hold’em and his table mates. When he again had a moment to look, no one was at the bar, in front or behind… curious, he thought, but he quickly refocused his attention on the fascinating new game he was in the process of learning. He was familiar with Poker, so it wasn’t difficult to learn. He liked the high level of interaction that this version of the old game allowed. He’d done well, certainly gained enough to fund extracurricular activities during the rest of his current sabbatical. He’d been disturbed by the overall atmosphere of this place when he’d arrived. He did not care for the numerous paintings and sculptures of Ancient Native Deities and Spirits. They seemed to be mostly images of the Dark Beings of various Tribal cultures. He loved to study diverse cultures, but this place was an amalgamation of cultures, built for mutual support by several Tribes in the region. Much of the artwork was schlocky and clearly intended to cater to the garish and sordid tastes of the vapid gambling set. Some part of him did not feel… welcome, as though he had intruded on some private Place, set aside for Other Gods. He shook off the depressing musings… There areNO Other Gods, he reassured himself. He soon stepped away from the table to take care of personal needs and to decide what he should do with the rest of his night. Perhaps he would visit the White Dove Restaurant & Ballroom on the other side of the hotel lobby from the casino. It boasted a good reputation according to online reviews, even though it was a simple buffet style with a dance floor to one side. He liked the name, it was… peaceful he decided. He soon had a selection of food piled onto a plate and was seated near the dance floor. The place was sparsely occupied, so his hopes of being able to watch dancers as he ate were dashed. Still, the food was good enough. A little bland, but that was necessary in a place that acted as a crossroads of cultures. There was a spice table at the end of the primary row of entrees. He’d helped himself, yet nothing seemed to attach to his taste buds. The combination of eating nearly alone, having no one with energy around him, and the tasteless food soon had him growing restless. He finished up his repast and left the table to go out to the final section of the complex he had not visited, the River Overlook. As he passed the table nearest the entrance, he saw a stout man in a rumpled sport coat, who glared daggers at him, eyes focused on his crucifix, the only outward sign of his profession. The man appeared to be so hostile, that he paused for a moment to determine whether he’d done anything to offend the fellow. “Excuse me sir, have I offended you in some way?” The man looked startled. He was apparently unused to being confronted about his demeanor or behavior. He scowled, “Don’t like that thing you have around your neck. You Catholics are all Hell-bound. No concept of righteousness. Not that you’d understand, you people don’t even read The Book. You listen to your priests and pope and disregard The Word. All the kneeling and ritual prayers in the world won’t save you in the end. Go back to your idols and beads and leave me alone to seek Heaven.” Fr. Bayani was startled by the vehemence with which the man spoke. He hadn’t been attacked directly for his Faith in years. “Sir, I’m not sure what Religion you practice, but I am a man of God, a consecrated priest of the Holy Church. I assure you that I understand more than most, if not as much as I would like. I meant no harm and wish you a peaceful night.” With that, he started to walk past the man, but the man rose from his table and pointed his finger, “Your pope is the Anti-Christ, and your Church is a place of Satan! Look to the Bible for your salvation before it’s too late.” Fr. Bayani increased his pace and continued on his journey to the River Overlook. He would need the peace and tranquility that nature and the sound of flowing water would provide to settle his roiling mind. **** * **** Pastor Bill resumed his seat and shook his head, “Fool, doesn’t know that he’s risking his soul, courting Damnation.” He’d had a bad run at the tables over at the casino. His Denomination frowned on games of chance, but he had needed the money. One of his congregation had come up pregnant and they had to get it resolved before the three-month deadline for abortions. He knew that if his wife found out about Carmen, then she would divorce him. He was here to break every major rule that he professed to hold dear each week. His plan for quick money had failed, so he’d visited the bar. Now he hoped that eating would guide him back to sobriety. He had to think of another plan. Seeing that… priest had annoyed him. Had he not been inebriated, he would never have said what he did, nor stared so rudely in the first place. Yet he wanted someone on whom to vent the anger he felt, that arose from fear and he’d always disliked the papists. If his wife divorced him, if the scandal involving the woman who cleaned the church all week and then occupied the back pew every Sunday ever broke; he would lose his ministry, his livelihood. His degree in Theology would be worthless. He might be able to get a job teaching, at some secular school, but most would not hire fervent Christians like himself. He stared dejectedly at his plate of food that had contained more spice and flavors than he liked, a shadow passed in his periphery. It was low-slung and blurred just a bit as it loped along the wall. He thought he heard an odd laugh, somewhere between human and… canine? Maybe a little like a hyena might sound, or so he imagined. There was a manic quality to the laughter. A jest that was on him so that only the other Entity knew what it was. It was the wicked laughter of children at play, who’d decided to target a fat kid with glasses.A kid whose parents had been abusive addicts but who later “got right” through religious-based recovery programs.Their faith had led him to his own, but he’d never really lost those early traumas of being unaccepted by his peers and being beaten by people who later professed faith above all. A mocking whine, definitely doggish, his now sobering consciousness informed him. Something was making fun of him, teasing him from the shadows. He looked around for staff members or other customers but found himself alone. The dining area and the dance floor were deserted. It was odd, there was almost always someone at the buffet service tables. He looked over to the kitchen doors in hopes that one of the employees would burst through with a fresh serving of chicken wings or whatever tray had been emptied. He saw dark figures move past the clouded round windows on the swinging doors and temporarily occlude the bright kitchen lights within, but they were indistinct blobs, and appeared to be focused on tasks of their own choosing rather than service of his needs. He stood and realized that he was more intoxicated than he’d realized. He immediately resumed his seat and bent forward to regain his balance and bearings… and to swallow his rising gorge. When he sat up again, a dark, shaggy form perched in the chair across from him. The figure was no more than a silhouette, a raggedly hewn shadow. Yet there were eyes. Sinister golden gleams appeared and blinked at him. He heard a heavy, panting sort of breathing and a gust of foul-smelling carnivore breath assaulted his olfactory senses. “Who? Er, what are you doing at my table?” he asked in a mushy, confused manner. Still fighting off waves of nausea. He could not see it very well in the poorly illuminated dining room, but his impression was that the... Being… smiled at him: a gaping, lolling smile, with a tongue dangling out to one side and sharp canines gleaming. “I thought I would check on you my righteous friend. You seem to be upset, unhappy. You nipped and barked at that other person who shares your Faith. I thought perhaps there was a deeper concern preying on your conscience?” Pastor Bill had to force himself to think through what this… person? Had said to him. Likely some hippie-dippy weirdo. “That guy was a Catholic priest, we’re nowhere near the same Religion.” Once more he heard the chortling laughter that was now very clear, “I’m sure you think it’s different. Those of his specific religion, came to these lands many years ago. They were the first of you Christians to arrive. The rest have been simple variations on a theme. The problems began, when your co-religionists assumed that only your God exists; that all of the local Gods and Spirits were instead Demons and Dark Powers. Instead of trying to show that yours is a better Way, you Christians insisted that yours is the only Way. You’ve forgotten that in Ancient Times, people held True to Deities who were attached to local communities or to the land and features around them; geographically and ethnically relevant. You have gone from subsuming and incorporating Older Gods as Angels and Saints, to Demonizing Them, and now in your hubris, to denying Them altogether.” He shook His head. “Too bad really, it creates an Adversarial relationship.” He chuckled at some joke that Pastor Bill was still too drunk to comprehend. Pastor Bill had grown increasingly fearful as the Voice intoned Its Philosophies. He wanted to refute that Voice, to deny Its very Existence. Yet he feared Its Wrath more than anything he’d ever feared, even the Fires of Hell. Instead of making a stand and arguing his faith, he staggered to his feet and ran, stumbled, blindly toward the kitchen and the pale, ghostly figures within. Surely someone within would save him! The sardonic laughter chortled after him and chased him into the too bright lights, descending into the yips and howls of Coyote even as the doors swung shut behind him. He looked around at the glowing white figures who halted in their various progresses to stare at him. Their eyes! There were none, just empty sockets, faces slack, with gaping, lamprey maws. He heard a new sound as they swarmed him… his own forlorn screams of ultimate agony. **** * **** Fr. Bayani stood out on the River Overlook platform and enjoyed the solitude that had so recently left him restless. There were plenty of noises out across the flowing torrent: the water itself, as it passed over hidden objects, fish as they leapt from its embrace to kiss the night air, frogs and insects, and the warbling, mournful sounds of a loon, and the soft sigh of the wind as it passed through the verdant landscape. This is much more peaceful than the White Dove he thought. He had some trouble shaking off ruminations on the verbal assault from the strange, possibly drunken man in the restaurant. He decided that he would pray for the man, that he would one day soon find The True Faith. Sometimes that was all one could do for the short-sighted. He heard a deep, coughing hiss out in the dark. He was startled but quickly realized that it was an American Alligator, cousin to creatures he had observed in many places around the planet. He was truly content, at one with Nature in all Her Glory… in all the natural splendor of Creation! he immediately corrected himself. A sound impinged on his senses as it slowly rose and obscured the others… it was a lapping sound at first, more like ocean waves on a beach than the banks of a river. Waves, at cross purposes to the flow of the river, slapped at the base of the platform. Soon they sounds evolved into splashes, as if something very large approached the River Overlook platform. He leaned over the rail to have a closer look. Perhaps it was a large water creature or a boat… maybe a ‘gator as the locals called the big reptiles. He peered down at the dim rippling surface below. At first, he was unable to discern anything but small reflections on the water as it swirled and lapped; then from below the surface, he spotted an eye, a too large eye! It glowed from within with a sickly luminescence akin to that produced by deep growing fungi. As he stared in horror, he saw a mouth gape below the eye, and enormous frog-like opening with no teeth but serrated lips, like some monstrous catfish. As he stared, too much in shock to act, he suddenly felt his body wrapped in strong, leprous flesh and he quickly lost his ability to breathe. The last sight he saw before he plunged over the safety rail was the thin, grey, first light of dawn. **** * **** Chief Harry Whitehorse gazed around at his fellow chiefs and Shamans from various local Tribes, “So, are The Dark Ones satisfied once again? Have They sated their appetites on strangers so that our peoples will be safe for another year?” Affirmative rumbles muttered around the conference room. Red Wolf, a Shaman, spoke from near the back row, “They are not only satisfied but Coyote assures us that the prey people will not be linked with our premises or business operations.” Most of the fresh mutters sounded pleased, but old Harry had to ask, “Can we trust Him?” Chortling laughter sounded throughout the conference room and ascended into thunderous yips and howls of hysterical glee.
Zdravko Swims Home from the Grand Dame - SKT - Session 24
Previous Session: https://www.reddit.com/dndstories/comments/kkzknk/recon_in_yartar_and_attack_of_the_mudfish_skt/ In the streets of Yartar our heroes got ambushed by some weird fish-people and a "mudfish" that claimed to be a god. After significant amounts of snooping and intel-gathering, the party felt they had all they needed to know to enter The Grand Dame riverboat casino and to reach Drylund - the prime suspect in Hekaton's disappearance. . Cast: Level 9
Zep: Kenku Casino-Worker.
Zdravko: Human Exotic-Foreigner.
Lyra: Wing-ed Monkey; pet of Exotic Foreigner.
Jormo: Tortle Oarsman.
Beau: Tabaxi Noble.
. Jormo submits himself to Nevil Storn - Captain of the Grand Dame - for a position rowing the ship's oars. Captain Storn initially questions Jormo's Iron Gauntlests (of Ogre Strength) which the Tortle claims protect his hands from blistering while rowing. The captain seems skeptical but ultimately lets him aboard. Next Zep applies to be a dealegame-runner in the ship's casino. After an impressive card trick where the Kenku makes an entire deck disappear only to begin pulling cards from his beak, Captain Storn is so impressed and adds "I'd rather have you running games in our casino rather than playing them that's for sure. Not sure Akane would even be able to catch you cheating." Once aboard Jormo sits at his rowing station, and Zep reports to the casino where he sets up a game at one of the dozen tables, near a statue of a golden goose on a wooden pedestal. Zep notices crew and staff preparing for guests to arrive. An woman in a beautiful purple dress sets up a game board similar to Dragon Chess at the table next to Zep's. The Kenku also notices a stern-looking older woman in a yellow robe adorned with embroidered green snakes, prowling the casino floor; she is checking to make sure nothing is out of order with the game dealers. Below deck Jormo sees a tiny octopus riding on the shoulder of a man (the Tortle rightly suspects this may be Khaspere Drylund) who briefly checks in with the man who leads the Rowers. . An hour later Beau - disguising himself as a different Tabaxi named 'Razzlestacks' - seeks to board with his exotic muscular foreign guest, Zdravko (who fakes a limp and leans heavily on his quarterstaff-"walking stick"). Lyra has wildshaped into a flying monkey perched atop the staff as the "Exotic man's exotic pet." Many of the nobles and aristocrats gathering here are dressed eccentrically enough that as odd as the group of covert heroes may look, they don't expect to arouse too much suspicion. Captain Nevil Storn is a bit wary of Zdravko's pet, saying that animals usually aren't allowed, but Zdravko assures him that she is well trained and Lyra plays the part well. After a brief conversation with Beau the captain welcomes them aboard his ship. As they climb the gangplank they see a stern-looking older woman wearing a yellow silk formal robe; she's helping passengers exchange Gold for wooden "Golden Goose" gambling tokens which she procures from a messenger-style bag at her hip. Beau senses magic and hones her vision to see an aura of Conjuration from the bag, and an aura of Transmutation from the Robe of Snakes. . By sunset everyone has boarded and the boat glides out into the wide Dessarin river for the evening. Paper lanterns illuminate the sides of the boat and balcony around the upper deck. Zdravko and Beau schmooze with nobles, while Lyra keeps watch. Zep faithfully runs his gaming table while keeping a look-out. Jormo takes semi-frequent breaks from rowing to check on the situation in the casino through one of the port holes. Zep and Lyra both notice that the woman in the snake-adorned yellow robe has been scrutinizing them much more carefully than the other guests. Between Zep and Beau carefully timing and concealing use of the Message cantrip they're able to somewhat keep each other in the loop. After awhile the lady in yellow ascends the spiral stairs to the upper deck and isn't seen again for several minutes. In the meantime Zdravko and Beau chat with a jovial noble who seems quite taken with Zdravko, he mentions that Khaspere Drylund prefers to socialize with the gamblers who wager the most. They then enter a high-stakes game of wit and luck against one of the highest-stakes gamblers in the room and Beau beats him, earning himself 300-some gold worth of Golden Goose tokens! . Khaspere Drylund enters the casino from the spiral stairs, followed by the woman in yellow. He socializes with the high-stakes gambler before approaching Beau. The woman in the snake robe continues patrolling the room. Beau senses magic as Drylund approaches and focuses her eyes to see a Transmutation aura around the pet octopus resting on his shoulder. Zdravko takes flying-monkey Lyra out to the balcony to "stretch her wings." The Druid flies out of sight momentarily, then reverts back to her winged Tiefling form, and casts Invisibility on herself as she seeks out Captain Drylund's quarters in the upper deck. Jormo gets sick of waiting and rowing and enters the casino, pretending to be a noble and snacking at the table. Zdravko gives him a nod before realizing that might have been too much of a tell. Drylund inquires of Beau what brought him aboard the Grand Dame this evening. Beau explains that he has a background as a sailor and is always interested in unique sailing vessels. After the discussion moves on to local politics Drylund essentially tries to recruit Beau into buying a summer home in Yartar so that he can "participate in the political process." Beau is invited to accompany Drylund to his quarters and he uses his Subtle metamagic to Message Lyra that they're coming. Zdravko pretends to just meet Jormo for the first time and invites him "to the balcony for fresh air" so they can follow Beau and Drylund. As soon as they're up the stairs Zep notices from his gaming table that the woman in yellow spins on her heal to follow them at a brisk pace. Zep attempts to mask the somatic component of a Message he sends to Zdravko, "You've got a tail; the woman in the yellow snake robe." On the balcony Zdravko warns Jormo that she's incoming. When she arrives she asks to speak with Zdravko privately but the monk insists his friend be present. She says, "Very well. I know you all have come here with ill-intent and I won't stand for it." To Zdravko she adds, "I suggest you swim home to where ever it is you came from" as she attempts to hijack his mind and will. Jormo attempts to Counterspell her Suggestion, but she in turn Counterspells his effort. Zdravko nods, "Yes, that sounds good" as he leaps from the balcony straight down into the water below. The Tortle and the woman stare each other down for a moment as it becomes obvious that a 1 vs 1 Wizard battle is upon them. Then Jormo casts Banishment, and without her ability to counterspell having returned yet she vanishes with a *pop* seemingly into thin air! . Jormo runs back down the stairs - knowing he only has a minute before she returns from the demi-plane he sent her to and frantically motions for Zep to follow him. The Kenku pretends to sneeze, sending all the cards at his table flying, before he leaps up to follow his Tortle friend (but not before grabbing a few fistfulls of crackers and cheese from the buffet. As they run through the Dance Hall on the upper deck, towards the hall that Beau and Drylund disappeared down Jormo catches him up on the situation, "Zdravko went for a swim and I made the yellow wizard disappear, but she'll be back soon." . Meanwhile Lyra had been searching Drylund's quarters but only had found some business expense records before receiving Beau's Message. Still invisible Lyra easily hides as Beau and Drylund enter and begin to talk about real-estate holdings. Less than a minute later Jormo and Zep barge in. Trying to act surprised Beau cries, "What's the meaning of this?" Drylund says, "Akane was right, you all are up to something. What do you want?" Jormo says pointedly, "We wanted your help in case we need to assassinate any Storm Giant royalty." With that Drylund immediate becomes hostile and says, "C'mon Sid, let's do this!" as his tiny pet octopus more than triples in size to become a Giant Octopus! . Drylund attempts to enshroud himself in a spell, but Jormo Counterspells his effort. Zep casts a Darkness spell on his ring, essentially blinding everyone in the small room. For most of fight nobody sees much of what's going on. Drylund seems to be lashing out with psychic tentacle attacks, along with spells that effect their minds as Dissonant Whispers force Jormo to momentarily flee the dark room. Since Lyra can't see, she destroys the water in the octopus's aquarium which enrages the beast as it spends the rest of the fight blindly sloshing its tentacles around after her. Zep is the only one who can see thanks to the abilities his patron bestowed on him, but he has to take a moment to conjure his blade to his hand before he can take advantage of it. Meanwhile Drylund lands a couple lucky Rapier thrusts against the Kenku in the Darkness. Lyra similarly lands a lucky hit with a Guiding Bolt, but the extra light that normally sheds off the hit creature can't permeate the magical darkness. Zdravko continues to swim home. Beau lines up where she knows Drylund is and hopes an ally isn't directly behind him and unleashes a Lightning Bolt - unseen in the darkness but just as deadly. Drylund attempts his own Lightning attack, but still essentially blind, misses. After a couple missed Firebolts Jormo yells for Zep to cancel the Darkness. Zep keeps the spell active, but covers the ring, thus obscuring the darkening effect. Jormo slings a cold orb at the injured Lord Drylund's head with the intent to subdue him rather than kill him and it works! The force of the orb's impact combined with the brain-freeze like effect drops Khaspere Drylund to his knee as he calls out, "Please, I surrender, I surrender. I don't want to die." He tells Sid the octopus that it's over and to go out and get some water. The octopus shrinks back to its tiny size as it slowly crawls up the wall towards the port hole window which Beau opens for it. . They tie up the captain and Jormo reminds them that the wizard in the yellow robe will only Banished for a few more seconds. Beau demands Khasphere Drylund tell them, "Where is the Storm Giant, King Hekaton?" Drylund, out of breath responds, "Very well, I.. I guess I can tell you. You've earned it, apparently." "The Big One you seek – the Storm Giant Hekaton – is subdued by enchanted shackles and sails aboard a strange-looking vessel called "The Morkoth." It's veiled from all divination, and light bends around it until one is within a certain distance. It sails around the northern isles of the Trackless Sea day and night. If you... " He stops talking. His voice catches in his throat as the veins in his neck bulge. Drylund's eyes grow wide with terror and become bloodshot as he rigidly grabs his head in agony. He opens his mouth as if to scream in pain, but nothing more than a strained, prolonged gasp escapes. He goes limp and slumps to the floor – blood begins to trickle out his ears. He is dead. Jormo finds a key on his body and begins checking drawers for any addition evidence they can give Yartar's Waterbarron. He finds a journal in a drawer beneath the now-empty aquarium. Beau checks the hallway just in time to see the woman in the yellow robe coming. He shuts the door and warns the group they may have to fight again. Zep uncovers his Darkness ring to conceal them, and Beau hidden in the darkness casts Disguise Self to look like Drylund. Zdravko continues to swim home. . Akane Manaasi flings open the door and seeing only darkness calls out, "What's going on in here?" Beau, flawlessly imitating Drylund's voice tries to buy them time to think of a plan, "The intruders hid a darkness object somewhere in here. I'm looking for it. Akane, "Would you like help, sir?" Beau as Drylund, "Yes?" (internally screaming). Akane, "What does the object look like? I can attempt to locate it with magic." Beau as Drylund, "I didn't see it." Akane, "I don't know how much help I can be, but I will try." She enters into the room. "The intruders... who are they sir? Where are they now?" Beau as Drylund, "They came looking for Hekaton." Akane, "I'm sorry sir, what?" Beau as Drylund, "They're trying to find the Storm Giant." Akane, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you're talking about." With that, Zep leaps at her through the darkness and grapples her in choke-hold, covering the Darkness ring in the process. Akane sees Drylund laying in a pool of blood and also Drylund standing above Drylund's body. Jormo cries out, "Oh no! you've killed our friend who was disguised as Drylund!" Akane Manaasi demands to know what's going on. Beau explains that her boss is caught up in some bad happenings and after he confessed, it seems like someone performed a psychic assassination on him from elsewhere. The woman in the yellow-green snake robe doesn't seem at all surprised to hear of Drylund's extracurricular business dealings, but after further questioning Beau is pretty certain that Akane Manaasi herself is innocent of any of it and just acts as the security officer of the Grand Dame. Akane proposes that if they let her go, she can assume the role of running the casino in Drylund's stead, make it her own business, and in the process completely cover for them and attribute Drylund's death to "unseen assassins who never made themselves known." Beau says that sounds good, ONLY if Akane releases their friend from her Suggestion and Akane agrees. Zdravko stops swimming home and shouts, "SON OF A B----!!!" before turning around, flying into a rage and swimming back towards the boat at top speed! . When the monk returns, Beau has to convince Zdravko not to attack the security officer, but that doesn't stop him from aggressively drying himself off on her robe - which unflappably she appears to ignore. They spend the rest of the night gambling and schmoozing and eating from the buffet as if nothing had happened, and none of the guests see Khaspere Drylund for the rest of the evening (or ever again). . To be continued...
Zdravko Swims Home from the Grand Dame - Ch.11 - Session 24
Previous Session: https://www.reddit.com/stormkingsthundecomments/kkzm93/recon_in_yartar_and_attack_of_the_mudfish_ch11/ In the streets of Yartar our heroes got ambushed by some weird fish-people and a "mudfish" that claimed to be a god. After significant amounts of snooping and intel-gathering, the party felt they had all they needed to know to enter The Grand Dame riverboat casino and to reach Drylund - the prime suspect in Hekaton's disappearance. . Cast: Level 9
Zep: Kenku Casino-Worker.
Zdravko: Human Exotic-Foreigner.
Lyra: Wing-ed Monkey; pet of Exotic Foreigner.
Jormo: Tortle Oarsman.
Beau: Tabaxi Noble.
. Jormo submits himself to Nevil Storn - Captain of the Grand Dame - for a position rowing the ship's oars. Captain Storn initially questions Jormo's Iron Gauntlests (of Ogre Strength) which the Tortle claims protect his hands from blistering while rowing. The captain seems skeptical but ultimately lets him aboard. Next Zep applies to be a dealegame-runner in the ship's casino. After an impressive card trick where the Kenku makes an entire deck disappear only to begin pulling cards from his beak, Captain Storn is so impressed and adds "I'd rather have you running games in our casino rather than playing them that's for sure. Not sure Akane would even be able to catch you cheating." Once aboard Jormo sits at his rowing station, and Zep reports to the casino where he sets up a game at one of the dozen tables, near a statue of a golden goose on a wooden pedestal. Zep notices crew and staff preparing for guests to arrive. An woman in a beautiful purple dress sets up a game board similar to Dragon Chess at the table next to Zep's. The Kenku also notices a stern-looking older woman in a yellow robe adorned with embroidered green snakes, prowling the casino floor; she is checking to make sure nothing is out of order with the game dealers. Below deck Jormo sees a tiny octopus riding on the shoulder of a man (the Tortle rightly suspects this may be Khaspere Drylund) who briefly checks in with the man who leads the Rowers. . An hour later Beau - disguising himself as a different Tabaxi named 'Razzlestacks' - seeks to board with his exotic muscular foreign guest, Zdravko (who fakes a limp and leans heavily on his quarterstaff-"walking stick"). Lyra has wildshaped into a flying monkey perched atop the staff as the "Exotic man's exotic pet." Many of the nobles and aristocrats gathering here are dressed eccentrically enough that as odd as the group of covert heroes may look, they don't expect to arouse too much suspicion. Captain Nevil Storn is a bit wary of Zdravko's pet, saying that animals usually aren't allowed, but Zdravko assures him that she is well trained and Lyra plays the part well. After a brief conversation with Beau the captain welcomes them aboard his ship. As they climb the gangplank they see a stern-looking older woman wearing a yellow silk formal robe; she's helping passengers exchange Gold for wooden "Golden Goose" gambling tokens which she procures from a messenger-style bag at her hip. Beau senses magic and hones her vision to see an aura of Conjuration from the bag, and an aura of Transmutation from the Robe of Snakes. . By sunset everyone has boarded and the boat glides out into the wide Dessarin river for the evening. Paper lanterns illuminate the sides of the boat and balcony around the upper deck. Zdravko and Beau schmooze with nobles, while Lyra keeps watch. Zep faithfully runs his gaming table while keeping a look-out. Jormo takes semi-frequent breaks from rowing to check on the situation in the casino through one of the port holes. Zep and Lyra both notice that the woman in the snake-adorned yellow robe has been scrutinizing them much more carefully than the other guests. Between Zep and Beau carefully timing and concealing use of the Message cantrip they're able to somewhat keep each other in the loop. After awhile the lady in yellow ascends the spiral stairs to the upper deck and isn't seen again for several minutes. In the meantime Zdravko and Beau chat with a jovial noble who seems quite taken with Zdravko, he mentions that Khaspere Drylund prefers to socialize with the gamblers who wager the most. They then enter a high-stakes game of wit and luck against one of the highest-stakes gamblers in the room and Beau beats him, earning himself 300-some gold worth of Golden Goose tokens! . Khaspere Drylund enters the casino from the spiral stairs, followed by the woman in yellow. He socializes with the high-stakes gambler before approaching Beau. The woman in the snake robe continues patrolling the room. Beau senses magic as Drylund approaches and focuses her eyes to see a Transmutation aura around the pet octopus resting on his shoulder. Zdravko takes flying-monkey Lyra out to the balcony to "stretch her wings." The Druid flies out of sight momentarily, then reverts back to her winged Tiefling form, and casts Invisibility on herself as she seeks out Captain Drylund's quarters in the upper deck. Jormo gets sick of waiting and rowing and enters the casino, pretending to be a noble and snacking at the table. Zdravko gives him a nod before realizing that might have been too much of a tell. Drylund inquires of Beau what brought him aboard the Grand Dame this evening. Beau explains that he has a background as a sailor and is always interested in unique sailing vessels. After the discussion moves on to local politics Drylund essentially tries to recruit Beau into buying a summer home in Yartar so that he can "participate in the political process." Beau is invited to accompany Drylund to his quarters and he uses his Subtle metamagic to Message Lyra that they're coming. Zdravko pretends to just meet Jormo for the first time and invites him "to the balcony for fresh air" so they can follow Beau and Drylund. As soon as they're up the stairs Zep notices from his gaming table that the woman in yellow spins on her heal to follow them at a brisk pace. Zep attempts to mask the somatic component of a Message he sends to Zdravko, "You've got a tail; the woman in the yellow snake robe." On the balcony Zdravko warns Jormo that she's incoming. When she arrives she asks to speak with Zdravko privately but the monk insists his friend be present. She says, "Very well. I know you all have come here with ill-intent and I won't stand for it." To Zdravko she adds, "I suggest you swim home to where ever it is you came from" as she attempts to hijack his mind and will. Jormo attempts to Counterspell her Suggestion, but she in turn Counterspells his effort. Zdravko nods, "Yes, that sounds good" as he leaps from the balcony straight down into the water below. The Tortle and the woman stare each other down for a moment as it becomes obvious that a 1 vs 1 Wizard battle is upon them. Then Jormo casts Banishment, and without her ability to counterspell having returned yet she vanishes with a *pop* seemingly into thin air! . Jormo runs back down the stairs - knowing he only has a minute before she returns from the demi-plane he sent her to and frantically motions for Zep to follow him. The Kenku pretends to sneeze, sending all the cards at his table flying, before he leaps up to follow his Tortle friend (but not before grabbing a few fistfulls of crackers and cheese from the buffet. As they run through the Dance Hall on the upper deck, towards the hall that Beau and Drylund disappeared down Jormo catches him up on the situation, "Zdravko went for a swim and I made the yellow wizard disappear, but she'll be back soon." . Meanwhile Lyra had been searching Drylund's quarters but only had found some business expense records before receiving Beau's Message. Still invisible Lyra easily hides as Beau and Drylund enter and begin to talk about real-estate holdings. Less than a minute later Jormo and Zep barge in. Trying to act surprised Beau cries, "What's the meaning of this?" Drylund says, "Akane was right, you all are up to something. What do you want?" Jormo says pointedly, "We wanted your help in case we need to assassinate any Storm Giant royalty." With that Drylund immediate becomes hostile and says, "C'mon Sid, let's do this!" as his tiny pet octopus more than triples in size to become a Giant Octopus! . Drylund attempts to enshroud himself in a spell, but Jormo Counterspells his effort. Zep casts a Darkness spell on his ring, essentially blinding everyone in the small room. For most of fight nobody sees much of what's going on. Drylund seems to be lashing out with psychic tentacle attacks, along with spells that effect their minds as Dissonant Whispers force Jormo to momentarily flee the dark room. Since Lyra can't see, she destroys the water in the octopus's aquarium which enrages the beast as it spends the rest of the fight blindly sloshing its tentacles around after her. Zep is the only one who can see thanks to the abilities his patron bestowed on him, but he has to take a moment to conjure his blade to his hand before he can take advantage of it. Meanwhile Drylund lands a couple lucky Rapier thrusts against the Kenku in the Darkness. Lyra similarly lands a lucky hit with a Guiding Bolt, but the extra light that normally sheds off the hit creature can't permeate the magical darkness. Zdravko continues to swim home. Beau lines up where she knows Drylund is and hopes an ally isn't directly behind him and unleashes a Lightning Bolt - unseen in the darkness but just as deadly. Drylund attempts his own Lightning attack, but still essentially blind, misses. After a couple missed Firebolts Jormo yells for Zep to cancel the Darkness. Zep keeps the spell active, but covers the ring, thus obscuring the darkening effect. Jormo slings a cold orb at the injured Lord Drylund's head with the intent to subdue him rather than kill him and it works! The force of the orb's impact combined with the brain-freeze like effect drops Khaspere Drylund to his knee as he calls out, "Please, I surrender, I surrender. I don't want to die." He tells Sid the octopus that it's over and to go out and get some water. The octopus shrinks back to its tiny size as it slowly crawls up the wall towards the port hole window which Beau opens for it. . They tie up the captain and Jormo reminds them that the wizard in the yellow robe will only Banished for a few more seconds. Beau demands Khasphere Drylund tell them, "Where is the Storm Giant, King Hekaton?" Drylund, out of breath responds, "Very well, I.. I guess I can tell you. You've earned it, apparently." "The Big One you seek – the Storm Giant Hekaton – is subdued by enchanted shackles and sails aboard a strange-looking vessel called "The Morkoth." It's veiled from all divination, and light bends around it until one is within a certain distance. It sails around the northern isles of the Trackless Sea day and night. If you... " He stops talking. His voice catches in his throat as the veins in his neck bulge. Drylund's eyes grow wide with terror and become bloodshot as he rigidly grabs his head in agony. He opens his mouth as if to scream in pain, but nothing more than a strained, prolonged gasp escapes. He goes limp and slumps to the floor – blood begins to trickle out his ears. He is dead. Jormo finds a key on his body and begins checking drawers for any addition evidence they can give Yartar's Waterbarron. He finds a journal in a drawer beneath the now-empty aquarium. Beau checks the hallway just in time to see the woman in the yellow robe coming. He shuts the door and warns the group they may have to fight again. Zep uncovers his Darkness ring to conceal them, and Beau hidden in the darkness casts Disguise Self to look like Drylund. Zdravko continues to swim home. . Akane Manaasi flings open the door and seeing only darkness calls out, "What's going on in here?" Beau, flawlessly imitating Drylund's voice tries to buy them time to think of a plan, "The intruders hid a darkness object somewhere in here. I'm looking for it. Akane, "Would you like help, sir?" Beau as Drylund, "Yes?" (internally screaming). Akane, "What does the object look like? I can attempt to locate it with magic." Beau as Drylund, "I didn't see it." Akane, "I don't know how much help I can be, but I will try." She enters into the room. "The intruders... who are they sir? Where are they now?" Beau as Drylund, "They came looking for Hekaton." Akane, "I'm sorry sir, what?" Beau as Drylund, "They're trying to find the Storm Giant." Akane, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you're talking about." With that, Zep leaps at her through the darkness and grapples her in choke-hold, covering the Darkness ring in the process. Akane sees Drylund laying in a pool of blood and also Drylund standing above Drylund's body. Jormo cries out, "Oh no! you've killed our friend who was disguised as Drylund!" Akane Manaasi demands to know what's going on. Beau explains that her boss is caught up in some bad happenings and after he confessed, it seems like someone performed a psychic assassination on him from elsewhere. The woman in the yellow-green snake robe doesn't seem at all surprised to hear of Drylund's extracurricular business dealings, but after further questioning Beau is pretty certain that Akane Manaasi herself is innocent of any of it and just acts as the security officer of the Grand Dame. Akane proposes that if they let her go, she can assume the role of running the casino in Drylund's stead, make it her own business, and in the process completely cover for them and attribute Drylund's death to "unseen assassins who never made themselves known." Beau says that sounds good, ONLY if Akane releases their friend from her Suggestion and Akane agrees. Zdravko stops swimming home and shouts, "SON OF A B----!!!" before turning around, flying into a rage and swimming back towards the boat at top speed! . When the monk returns, Beau has to convince Zdravko not to attack the security officer, but that doesn't stop him from aggressively drying himself off on her robe - which unflappably she appears to ignore. They spend the rest of the night gambling and schmoozing and eating from the buffet as if nothing had happened, and none of the guests see Khaspere Drylund for the rest of the evening (or ever again). . To be continued...
A Vegas Miracle - how I won $129,000 in my 3rd tournament ever
This is how I won $129,000 in my 3rd ever poker tournament. Note: don't try this, it probably won't turn out well for you. I spent about 6 months grinding up a $5,000 bankroll playing home/casino games ranging from .5/1 to 1/3. The week that I hit that $5,000 mark, Matt, one of my best friends from college informed me that his job had placed him in Las Vegas for the next month and that I could crash with him for a few nights if I wanted to come on out west. I had frequent flyer miles for the flight and some Mlife/Fremont hotel comps for the rest of the trip. My grand total for flight and lodging for 10 days came to $200. Now, I’m not going to bore you guys with low-level cash hand histories. The next 10 days were filled with me playing lowstakes poker for 10-12 hours a day. It’s as fun as it sounds – it’s not. I was having a good time in Vegas otherwise – but towards the end of the trip I had a realization: 1/2’s the same everywhere. I didn’t have to fly out to the desert to raise to $7 preflop. After 10 days, my grand total from poker (and a fair amount of dumb degenerate shit on Fremont) was -$186. That wasn’t what I came out to do — I knew that I was a better player than my recent results had indicated. The morning of my return flight, I decided I was going to play tournaments until I either busted my $5,000 bankroll or hit something worthwhile. I impulsively decided to not get on my plane at 11:30am. Checkout time from Luxor was at 11:00 – and I didn’t know where I was going yet. I had 30 minutes to pack up my stuff and figure out where I was going before they’d charge me a fee. I sorted TripAdvisor by cheapest first – I’ve stayed in crappy hostels/motels before and overall am a very low maintenance person. I figured that by staying somewhere for $20 a night, I’d be able to maximize the amount of shots I could take before flying back home. I accepted that there was a real chance I’d go back broke – but I didn’t really care. If I didn’t take my shot now, then when? I booked the cheapest bed in Vegas - a 6-person shared hostel just past the Stratosphere. Let's just say you get what you pay for — it was not a happy place. A fair amount of the people in there were bordering on homelessness and there was barbed wire surrounding their outdoor gym. In addition to this, I had the constant stress of knowing that all that separated my bankroll from the rest of my roommates was a tiny lock. I took the Deuce to the strip, lived off food comps, and turned down invites from my friends to hang out. I was in town to play poker, nothing else. Disclaimer: I had never played tournaments prior to heading out to Vegas. My only knowledge of hand ranges was from watching televised events. I downloaded a free Nash chart app on my phone while on the Deuce to the strip and studied it for 5 minutes – whatever, I get the jist of it. Let’s play some cards. The first day of doing this I played the $140 daily at the Aria. Top 13 spots paid -- I finished in 15th. It was depressing to say the least — I felt as if I was at rock bottom. Before the first night of sleeping at the hostel I called the airline to see if I could get on the flight that I had deliberately missed the day prior. I couldn't. I made it my goal to at least cash something so that I could get a decent hotel room. I couldn’t have slept more than 2-3 hours the first night there. One of my roommates was loudly vomiting all night, the sheets itched, and I was going through an existential crisis... like dude, you’ve got a finance degree and you’re really doing this shit? While on the bus to the strip, I opened Poker Atlas and saw that there was a $200 satellite to win a seat into the $1,600 Venetian main event. I decided that I was going to go take a shot at that. I was at risk twice in the satellite but after studying the GTO method on how to win coinflips, I persevered and won a seat to the main. The first day was surreal – once again, I was running on minimal sleep due to my housing arrangements, but I remember the following hands from day 1:
Button opens to 2.2x, I’m in the BB with Q9cc. SB folds, we go HU to a flop of 832c. He c-bets, I call. Turn 4x, x/x. River Ax. I check, he bets, I x/r to like 3x his bet, he insta folds. I take it down and show air.
UTG+1 opens, MP calls, I flat on the button with K10ss. 3 ways to a flop of Qs43xx. UTG+1 bets 40% pot, MP calls, I call. Turn is the Js. UTG+1 bets 60% pot, MP calls, I flat. River comes the 8s. UTG+1 snap bets 80%. MP flats, I flat. I announce king high flush, they both muck.
Folds to the SB, he limps, I look down at Q10o, and check. Flop comes KQ6r. He leads 35%, I call. Turn 10. He bets, I call. River comes a J. He bets, I tank for about 45 seconds then flick in a call, he shows 76o… ship it.
The average stack after day 1 was around 40k, I bagged like 65k. I walked back to the Deuce stop outside of the Venetian and headed on my 30 minute ride back home. I kept thinking to myself, someone’s gotta win this thing, why not me? I had to get in the money for this tournament to be able to get the fuck out of there. A min cash here was over $3k – that was more than enough for me to get a suite on Fremont for a few nights and party for a bit, then get home with my head held high. Day 2: I get up at 7am after already being completely awake for the past 4 hours. There’s no way I slept more than 3 hours last night. I hit the Denny’s by the Stratosphere then get on the Deuce. I get to the Venetian and feel like I’m about to fall asleep. I go to the self-serve coffee/tea dispenser in the middle of the room and make myself an iced coffee. I get to my table, and the cocktail waitress comes around. I ask for another iced coffee and toss her a fiver. Here are some highlights from the 1st half of day 2:
I open 97ss on the button, BB flats. Flop comes AK3s. BB checks, I bet 35%. He throws out a 5k chip – which I interpret as a x/r to my bet. I groan, make a joke about it being the first hand of the day, and start to muck. The dealer stops my cards midway before hitting the muck, and informs me that he didn’t raise, that he called my flop bet. Everyone laughs, I go silent and wait for him to make change. Turn is the 2s. He thinks for a second and bets 30%. I tank for like 30 seconds, then flat. River is a blank. He thinks for a second, then checks. I bet like 30% pot. He tells me that I’m an angle shooter and mucks. I tell him I’m not an angle shooter and show my 9 high. Everyone laughs, we get on with playing.
CO opens, I 3b 87dd in the SB to 4x, he flats. Flop comes 1032d. I check, he checks. Turn is the 6d. I bet 55% pot, he flats. River comes the Kd. I bet 60%, he tanks, tells me he thinks I backdoored diamonds, then folds. Damn, these players are pretty good.
I open KK UTG to 2.5x, UTG +1 flats. Heads up to a flop of K43r. x/x. Turn 8, I bet 40% pot, he calls. River 3, I bet 80% pot, he tanks, then calls with AK.
I bring my 3 racks of chips to the new table and immediately get some comments – whatever, I’m just on a heater, it happens. At this point, my body was giving out. I was trying my hardest not to fall asleep in between every hand. Cutoff opens, I’m in the SB, I look down at KK. I put in the 3b, folds back to him. He puts in a healthy 4. We’re the two big stacks at the table – I’d guess he was 50bb effective while I was around 65bb. God damn, am I good enough to fold kings here? No, I’m not. I shove, he snaps, I know that I’ve just fucked up my tournament. He shows the aces. The dealer puts a king in the window, and I hold. I’m for sure the chip leader now. I lose a few 40/60 and 60/40 flips and chip down a bit. I still have a very healthy stack, probably around 80bb. The next 3 hands are from the second half of day 2:
Aggro Asian guy on the button. Folds to him, he opens to 2.2x, SB folds, I look down at 43ss and raise to 7.5x, he flats.
Flop comes 894cc. I check, he bets, I call. Turn’s another 9. I check, he bets 75% pot, I call. River’s the 10c. I check, he bets 1.2x pot. I ask the dealer for a count of the bet – meanwhile, villain looks like he’s going to shit himself. I flick in a chip, he throws down KcQx. I laugh a little, show my 43ss, and obnoxiously say ship it.
I open KQo UTG+1, MP 3bets me. I figure that a 4b from UTG+1 could take it down a fair amount of the time, so I decide to go for it. He thinks for a second and flats.
Flop comes AK4r. I check, he checks back. Turn is a 6, goes x/x again. River’s another brick. I put in a 30% value bet. He does a little grimace and tanks for like 20 seconds. It looks like he’s going to fold so I start verbally telling him that his queens are good. The dealer informs me that you’re not allowed to talk about your hand to another player. I inform him that I’m not talking about my hand, I’m talking about villains’ hand. Dealer laughs and lets me continue to antagonize villain. MP starts talking back, asking if I’m really bluffing. I inform him that once he folds, I’ll show the bluff. He ends up calling, I snap show, he pays me then gets up from the table to go for a walk.
We’re playing 6 handed. UTG opens, MP flats, I flat TT on the button. 3 ways to a flop of AT9ccc. UTG bets 50% pot, MP folds, I put in a medium sized raise. He thinks about it and flats.
The turn is the Kd. He pauses for a second then checks. I figured AxKc was his most likely combo. I didn’t think he could fold AxKc to any sizing – I decide to overbet jam 2x pot. He tanks for like 5 min and eventually lets it go. He tells me later he folded AxKc. Nice fold sir. I finished day two 2nd in chips out of the 64 players remaining. More importantly, I was in the money. My friend Matt offered to give me a ride to the hostel to grab my stuff. On the way to the hostel I’m telling Matt how trash the place is and he’s kind of like yeah man, whatever, it can’t be that bad. We gather my belongings and head on out. Matt remarked to me that the hostel reminded him of jail mixed with a summer camp. I open a same night hotel app and see a room at the Four Queens available for $110. The lady at check in was nice enough – however, she informed me that the only room they had available at my price point was a smoking room overlooking the Fremont St. experience. I paid the $20 to upgrade to a non-smoking in the quiet part of the hotel. Vegas man, I swear. It’s like 2am at this point -- I get to my room, sit on the bed and close my eyes. I open them and it’s 11:00am. Ah fuck man, I gotta get to the Venetian. I hop in the shower, brush my teeth, and freshen up. Even if I don’t have clean clothes, whatever, I’m second in the main, who cares. Some interesting hands from the first part of Day 3:
I had two inexcusable punts in this tournament. This is the first one: I open 5h5c from LP, BB calls. Flop comes J62hhh. x/x. Turn is a 4x. x, I bet 50% pot, BB jams 15bb. I called – and immediately realized I fucked up, big time. He had 2 big chips in his stack that I didn’t see, making his shove effectively like 25bb. In addition, I didn’t have the 5h, I had the 5d. I really didn’t ask for a count or double check my hole cards. Villain turns over 64o and holds. In my defense, I literally didn’t know what ICM meant at the time. Whoops.
Someone who I recognize from poker TV jams 22bb UTG. I’m in the CO with JJ, I ask him how much it is, he’s talkative and seems genuinely comfortable/down for me to call. I fold – I run into him a few days later at the Aria, he tells me he had AA there. I believe him.
CO opens, button instantly jams 30bb effective. I’m in the SB with TT and 25bb – live reads, we’re flipping. I call for all in my effective stack, CO folds, button has AQ. I hold. He’s not happy I called with tens. Oh well, sorry bro, gg.
MP opens, CO 3 bets to 7bb, button jams 20bb. I look down at 2 black aces in the big blind. I reshove, MP folds, CO calls off his 20bb stack. I’m up against AQ and QQ. I hold.
Even with my atrocious punt earlier in the day, I’m the chip leader again. We’re down to about 15 left in the field. UTG opens, I 3b AKo on the button, he jams 20bb, I call. He has 99, a king comes on the flop and he’s gone. It’s day 3 of the main and we’re playing 5 handed with 12 people left. Let’s fucking go.
Button opens to 2.5x, I’m in the BB with A8dd, I flat. Flop comes A104r, I check, he bets, I call. Turn is a 7, x/x. River A, I bet 1.2x pot. He tanks, calls, I show, I’m good.
CO opens to 2.5x, I’m in the BB with 108dd, I flat. Flop comes Kd4x2d, it goes x/x. Turn is a Kx, I check, he bets 60% pot, I flat. River is the 4d. I check, he bets pot. I tank and let it go. He tells me later he checked back a weak king on the flop.
SB completes, I’m in the BB with J9o and I check my option. Flop comes Q108r. The SB donks out into me for 60% pot. I flat. Turn comes a brick and he leads into me for 60% again. I raise to 3.5x his turn bet, he thinks for a while then flats. River is another brick. He bets 80% pot into me. I tank for a while, then shove. He starts laughing and folds QQ face up.
Less than a week ago I was grinding buffet comps at Planet Hollywood. Now I have guys correctly folding top set to me. I’ve made it to the final table. I pick up a few small pots and the two shortstacks at the table get eliminated in quick succession. This is without a doubt the most pointless and just plain out stupid punt of my entire life: I open J2dd on the button into a ~18bb SB and a GTO robot with mid 7 figures in career earnings in the BB. Don’t do this, this is quite literally lighting money on fire. SB folds, BB flats. Flop comes Kh8h3d. I cbet, BB calls. Turn is the Kd, goes x/x. River comes a 7h, he leads into me for half pot. Whatever, I’m going for it – I put in a raise. He thinks for all of 5 seconds then calls me with KQh. Wow, I just punted away $50,000 in ICM. Jesus Christ dude, what the fuck. For the next orbit or two, I’m clearly pissed at myself. I get up after my button and do a lap around the poker room – I’m good. The monkey tilt is gone, and I’m ready to get back to playing normal ranges. Anyway, nothing else really happens for a while – I look down at AKo UTG and raise it up. Folds around to the BB, he thinks for a while, then jams for about 20bb. I snap, he has AQo. I hold. I’m now second in chips. We go on a 10-minute break. When I get back to the table, the prospect of a 5-way chop comes up. We’re all tired – and the pay jumps are very significant. If you couldn’t tell from this story, I’m a degenerate, but in this spot, I’m willing to reduce variance a bit. We run the numbers and come to an agreement – we all agree to take a very slight ICM bump to give 1st place a bit more money than his stack is worth. I just won $129,000 -- huh? This was my second tournament cash – not too bad considering that it was my third tournament ever. Maybe I should start learning how to play MTT’s now. I take $124,000 in a check and $5,000 in cash. I’m leaving Vegas in 4 days and don’t plan on coming home with any of the cash. The winner of the tournament’s a pretty cool guy and he asks if I want to crash in his guest room tonight… like yeah, if that’s a real offer, I’m down. I pick up my toiletry bag from the Venetian concierge and we hit the Uber. The next morning Matt picks me up at his house – I hit the Chase bank and deposit the $124,000. I take Matt and my other friend, Spencer out to the Sterling Brunch over at Bally’s – the entire time, Spencer just kept repeating “Davis, what the fuck”. I don’t know dude, seriously, what the fuck. I get a suite at the D downtown that night and (very) long story short I end up hitting $100 on a number at roulette at 5am. It’s time for bed. Here’s a link to my Hendon Mob, verifying my tournament result. Hopefully I see some of you guys at the WSOP in 2021. https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=783521 Davis
Summary of the Persona 5 Royal info from the trailer and website (includes P5 Spoilers!)
Finally, some info! I'll divide this into details from the trailer and details from the site (there's a lot of the latter), with a few bits of speculation thrown in (I'll make it clear which details are confirmed and which are just mine though): The trailer (in roughly the order of appearance):
It starts with the Goro tries to kill Joker scene, but Joker has a flashback/ vision partway through to a frozen in time street, where he hears a girl's voice through a static television (the new girl, Kasumi's)? This could just be a clever edit for the sake of the trailer, but I think there will be a new ending and this will play into it (more on that later).
Edit 5: According to u/Monsieur_Valjean, her dialogue is "私が夢を奪ったんです" (Watashi ga yume wo ubattan desu), which translates to either:
(If spoken informally:) I stole/took away my dream.
(If spoken informally:) I took away your dream.
Edit 7: The trailer has been translated and the translation used is "I took away all their dreams." (*5)
The latter could either be benevolent (since she pulled Joker away from his confrontation with Akechi), or something more sinister. (*3)
Joker's grappling hook from Smash is now in the game (or rather, it made an early appearance in Smash) and has changed the Palaces to suit it. For example there's now a new puzzle involving kicking a giant Kamoshida statue in the mouth to open a door (perhaps the statue and door in the gym?) Okumura's Palace also has a point where you use the hook on a moving platform to reach a new area.
Incidentally, this probably means the rope you use to get into Madarame's Palace will be replaced with said grappling hook, or maybe entering his Palace will be changed entirely?
Edit 5: Many of you have pointed out that Joker always had the grappling hook, but he only used it in menu transitions. Thank you, all!
Edit 19: Assuming this trailer is also for newcomers to P5, showing off the first dungeon in the game makes sense - there's not much to spoil, but why Okumura's Palace - and why just a single scene? Note that the scene shows Joker being carried somewhere by a small platform through space. Is this a sign that the infamous airlock puzzle has been cut, with the team using grappling hooks to traverse those areas instead?
Edit 12: There's a cutscene with Joker seeing Kasumi outside and the two greeting each other. I didn't think it was worth mentioning before, but this does confirm that the two have some rapport before she's roped into the Phantom Thieves business/ when they're away from the other Thieves. But Morgana's poking out of Joker's bag when he smiles at her and makes no effort to hide himself - does this mean she already knows about him (and thus the Metaverse and Joker's double life)? Or does she simply think Joker smuggles his cat to school? At least she doesn't consider him a threat like everyone else!
This could either be because he helped her out (more on this soon) or because she simply doesn't believe/ care about the rumours surrounding him (like Shiho)...but maybe it's because she knows more about his situation (and Shido and/ or his Metaverse dealings) than she lets on?
There is a new location in the game (more on this later), home to a variety of hangout locations including a darts board and aquarium.
Edit 15: Thanks to MysticDistance, we see that the train transition now includes a backdrop of Shibuya through the train's windows! What an awesome little detail to add!
There's now a counsellor working at the school, though there's more info on him on the site so I'll address him there.
Edit 13: We see a silhouette on the TV screen from the start of the trailer, and Joker seems to recognise it. While it's of course hard to judge the identity of a silhouette, it does have a slim figure and a rounded head, much like the hair of our new Thief...
Edit 17: Here's a better shot at the figure. While Kasumi's uniform gives her the appearance of having broad shoulders, the silhouette doesn't look too much like her. While there's still a chance it is her, here's my speculation from that post:
Those shoulders look too broad to be Kasumi's (and doesn't seem to have long hair or a ponytail), but they have hair so can't be Shido. But those are definitely seams on the edges of the shoulders...it's Takuto, isn't it? Maybe Kasumi talks first and Takuto hijacks the message and/ or kidnaps or attacks her while she's delivering it? Maybe they're the same person under different personas personalities? Atlus has done weirder stuff!
Unison Attacks from P4G make a return! Think of these as mini-AOAs featuring pairs of Phantom Thieves. The examples in this trailer are Haru/ Morgana and Ryuji/ Makoto.
New story events! There appears to be a sports-day event that Makoto is overseeing. Joker also steps in to save Kasumi from a creep - presumably on his way back from the aforementioned event since he's still in his sports clothes.
Edit 18: There's a new option in cutscenes like this. While "Skip" is still mapped to Options, Square is now "Auto-Advance" and the Log has been moved to L3. This'll be really useful for those cutscenes that auto-advanced by default despite being unvoiced in the core game, those always bugged me (especially since you couldn't predict when they'd occur so going to the menu between cutscenes was always a waste of time).
We see Kasumi in the Metaverse, followed by more scenes of the new location, Kichijoji, where we can hang out with the full PT group at once instead of hanging out one at a time (at least in the darts/ pool area). Kasumi isn't here though, which suggests she joins the group last (or that she is simply unavailable at this point of the story).
Edit 16: Note that Makoto has just thrown a dart right before we see Joker do the same. Is this part of a cutscene (story or otherwise) or does this mean we'll get to compete here against the other Thieves; maybe even as sub-teams?
We see Kasumi in action, scoring a Critical Hit to boot! She wields a rapier and...I can't tell if it's a pistol or a sawn-off shotgun, but I can tell that it is fan-cy!
Edit 2: Thank you, u/Enzo-Unversed for pointing out that Kasumi isn't using a rapier. I did some further research and it looks like she uses an estoc, which is a narrow blade used for thrusting as she does in the trailer. The example on Wikipedia has a curved hilt while Kasumi's has a straight hilt, but I don't know if that means anything for estoc-kind.
Edit 2: u/AvatarWanderful identifies her gun as a lever-action rifle. I initially thought it was a hunting rifle before seeing its length, but that fits the description! And I still think the engraving is really neat!
We get some scenes of the Thieves in a new crumbling place in the Metaverse, interrupted by a scene of Kasumi dancing in front of a crowd hard enough to work up a sweat (more on this later)*, ending with Joker falling off of whatever he's holding on into what appears to be a floating staircase. This looks an awful lot like the stairs in the background of the Velvet Room in PQ to me and, coupled with the blue hue to everything, makes me think the new Palace will be related to the ol' VR in some way. Maybe we change Igo Yaldabaoth's heart directly?
* Edit 18: Could this be how we first see Kasumi? It uses a lot of dynamic camera angles and plays up the mystery of who she is, so perhaps this is her first appearance and we later meet her "for real" after the sports day incident mentioned above. Also, if she's already showing her skills and drawing a crowd, does this mean Kamoshida has his sights set on her this time around? We know how he gets when someone threatens his volleyball team, and he's no stranger to blackmailing female students. He may still be messing with Ann, but why not Kasumi as well? What's an extra year in difference to him?
Edit 20: A small detail, but this may mean we can buy equipment for Goro now, as well as access The Hero with a Bow, the book on Robin Hood we would have gotten from the library when he joined but was removed from the final release. This is in addition to Kasumi's equipment and book of course, unless she's the one to miss out this time. Which would be suspicious now that we know why Goro didn't get a book or weapons! (Also, it'll be interesting to see how their weapons are categorised, since both use swords.)
Edit 16: As many have noted the trailer bares a striking resemblance to Into The Spider-Verse's intro, with the various logos and box art "glitching" into alternate versions as they appear - could this be another hint that the characters enter into separate "dream" worlds at some point in the game? Maybe even multiple times?
Edit 5: Again from u/Monsieur_Valjean, the text below the shot of Joker at the top of the page ends with "arata na kyoteki," meaning "new powerful/ultimate/grand enemy," which again hints at a new villain and thus new Palace to beat.
From the opening "reel" of screenshots:
The box art: Goro looks much more sinister here than he did on the base cover, which makes me wonder if his betrayal is more...upfront this time around.
There's an event with Ren, Kasumi and Goro at a french cafe. This could be part of one or both of their Confidants, which makes me wonder when this happens - after all, Goro's only part of the team for a month and this makes you wonder when Kasumi joins. (*1)
Edit 15: Thanks to a translation by MysticDistance, we know that Akechi's line is "Say, Kasumi-san, what's your opinion on things regarding the Phantom Thieves?" Isn't this exactly what he asked her in the teaser trailer?
Edit 18: Given what happens later on, this question couldn't work in the later stages of the game due to how the story progresses (and would be utterly impossible due to Goro's situation near the end, whether he survives this time around or not). And because Kasumi's answer was important enough to be the basis of the teaser and seems important to her character, I don't think it's something wed be able to miss. In other words, I believe this to be a fixed event in the story. (It may also confirm that she isn't a founding member of the Thieves, though she may also be lying to throw Akechi off...in which case it'd be interesting if she's telling the truth about her lack of faith in the Thieves while being one herself, especially with her leader and possible love interest right beside her!)
Edit 15: Thanks to the same tweet as above, we know Kamoshida is saying "You're too slow, Mishima! You simpleminded fool!" Which seems to confirm Mishima is his new lackey in this boss and that he'll speak directly to his minions. Also note the "warped" text box: does this change affect all Shadows, Bosses or just in-combat dialogue? And if the latter, will there also be UI changes for when your own allies comment on the battle or when you issue commands?
Edit 6: u/FrozenKlondyke suggests this could be her student ID and that this is when she and Joker first meet (properly, at least) since she's introducing herself as a first-year here (you can see the 1 in her speech bubble too).
Edit 15: As pointed out in this tweet chain, it's a nice bit of characterisation that Joker is still willing to help out a girl being harassed despite what happened the last time he tried. D'aww...
Kasumi is a skilled gymnast. She's been great at it even since junior school, so Shujin has high hopes for her. She also joined at the same time as Joker (she is a first year, after all), which is probably how Kamoshida hasn't gotten his claws on her yet. This explains why her outfit is basically a gymnast's uniform plus a jacket (besides just fanservice) and her dancing to a large crowd in the trailer. The sharp mask and flower on the other side of her sheath are nice touches though~ (*4)
The first Kasumi screenshot seems to confirm the ability to have lunches with your friends at school. For those who don't know, this was an intended feature in the base game but removed (though removed late enough that the necessary files are still in the game). You could also have lunch with Kawakami - and anyone else who went to Shujin really, which of course now includes Kasumi (but not Futaba or Yusuke :/)!
Edit 1: The site also describes her as being key to the plot, so chances are she is indeed the voice from the start of the trailer and it does indeed tie into a new ending.
As u/icecreamsnow pointed out here, her being a gymnast may be why her cosplayer did a ribbon dance at the end of today's concert.
Edit 10: On both days, her cosplayer ends with a nervous look on her face before looking around and smiling. She did the exact same thing twice, so could this be a hint towards Kasumi's own personality? Is she shy despite her talent, and will we see this after her dance from the trailer?
Edit 3: In addition to being an epic shot of Kasumi in action (her black outfit goes really well with her red hair and eyes!) This shot also shows a new location in the Casino Palace. I'm confident in saying it's the Casino Palace because of the dice and enemy design, but this looks to be some sort of storage room? Almost like the backstage of a performance hall!
Edit 14: Also, there being enemies behind her - in Shadow forms at that - leads me to believe this is a cutscene. Note that her pose is different from when she performed a Critical Attack in the trailer; her gun is on her shoulder instead of her firing yet and her feet are in a different position. It's an amazing pose all the same, of course! And it really highlights the frills on her sleeves\~
Edit 19: But this begs the question: why is she the focus of a cutscene at this point, and such an action-packed cutscene at that? Could this be how she makes her appearance, already having her Persona and Thief outfit? It'd support the evidence that she's one of the last members to join the team and the suggestions that she has her own motives for joining the Thieves if she can already fight and hold her own in the Metaverse before meeting them. It'd double as a nice parallel to Haru and Akechi, who also join partway through a dungeon and are already capable of fighting respectively. Also, her fighting "guards" in the middle or end of the Casino for her debut would also parallel Joker fighting multiple guards in a cutscene in the prologue/ end of the Casino as his debut. Of course, this in turn means the shot of Kasumi in a blue room would have to come from the end of the game OR as a flashback to whenever she got her Persona and whatever event shaped who she is today.
Edit 20: Following from the above paragraph, she does seem awfully confident with her rifle to just sling it over her shoulder single-handed like that. Granted, every Thief is an instant expert with their weapons, but something about this seems especially proficient. Maybe it's just the leathe epicness of the scene and her outfit.
Edit 20: Regardless of if this is Kasumi's introduction and whether she's an adversary or if this is just a cool moment for her in a cutscene, let's go back to the reasoning of this being some sort of storage room - why are we here? In the core game we had to "un-cheat" in the Casino's games. Could this be related to one of those? If so, will there be a reworking of the two games we directly interfere with (i.e. the first two), or will we get to fix the second two games this time around - for example, are we currently on our way to/ back from fixing the lights from the Dark Room challenge? And all of this hinges on: are those games still in the Palace? Or have they been removed/ replaced completely, and this room is something completely unrelated to them or tied to (fixing) a new game?
Edit 18: I couldn't find this information for myself on the site or magazine, but a lot of people have talked about this so it's highly likely I just missed it. Anyway, this tweet (again from Mystic) elaborates on her bio, adding that she's also a transfer student (this part I still have doubts about) and despite joining the Thieves has her own motives (more on this later on and in my follow up post). The second tweet also states that she "holds Ren in high regard" despite her opinion of the Thieves. Perhaps this is why her Thief outfit is so similar to his; without even seeing Joker her psyche was affected by Ren's ideologies enough that her image of rebellion changed match his? Or is she fond of him because they were already similar despite their ideologies?
Takuto is a new Confidant and comes in as a counsellor for students after Kamoshida's confession. As the trailer shows, there are voiced scenes for him interacting with Ann without Joker needing to be around, so I assume he works similarly to the confessional in the base game. He has the Consultant Arcana which doesn't exist in the standard or Thoth set, but the number is 1, meaning he's a renamed Magus (like how Hunger from P4G was a renamed Lust). This makes sense, since the Magician (the basis for the Magus Arcana) is meant to be the Fool's guide/ first ally on his journey to the World.
Edit 15: For those thinking her may be evil, the Consultant Arcana depicts people thanking/ worshipping the sun. This could be seen as a good sign of his trustworthiness, but also a sign of his intent to control people. Also note how the people above him are falling or look scared. Another hint at his true intentions?
Edit 3: Persona Central's translation states that the new boy speaks in a familiar way and uses the first person pronoun "wagahai," which I think is what Morgana uses (any help from Japanese speakers will be greatly appreciated)!
And now Lady Ann and I will finally... happy cat noises
Edit 5.5: On the topic of the mysterious boy, note that he wears a black jacket (like Morgana's fur), white trousers (like the pads of his feet) and wears a yellow necklace (like Morgana's scarf). It has to be him! The only question now is whether the change happens as part of the story or as a result of completing his Confidant, and thus if his Confidant is optional now.
In any case, this confirms a "Golden" ending where Joker doesn't need to turn himself in to ensure Shido gets punished. Maybe this involves the "vision" at the start of the trailer and getting Goro to confess on his behalf instead? Or maybe the Yaldabaoth situation is handled differently in such a way that gives Sae the evidence she needs to convict him (assuming the bonus dungeon is in fact the Velvet Room)? Edit 1: But this also begs the question: what will we do in those three months? Will the Metaverse survive the final boss this time around, or will the last three months be purely for social stats and Confidants? Will at least Mementos survive, so we can complete Confidants, or will they be re-written (by default or after the end of the game) so that Mementos won't be necessary for them? Section 3: This details the additions to the overworld and Metaverse. School Life
The aquarium is confirmed to be a date spot (which is why we only see Joker with one other person there as opposed to a larger group at the darts/ pool place). There's also another amusement park here where he's seen with the twins, which also confirms...
You can hangout with the twins! P3FES and P4G added hangout opportunities with Velvet Room residents, so it seems the pattern will continue here.
Edit 18: MysticDistance pointed out that this selfie is taken from the buffet the founding members of the Thieves attend after dealing with Kamoshida. The table and outfits match and everyone's even sitting in the same positions they are in that scene, so I'm strongly inclined to agree!
Phantom Life
Some enemies will now appear with a purple aura (similar to those that go berserk) and will be stronger than ordinary ones. They appear as soon as the first Palace it seems, which is an interesting way to keep new and old players on their toes.
Edit 3: Persona Central's translation states that the red light is part of the alarms going off, though what this means is still a mystery.
Edit 8: Since Goro seems to be sticking around, the alarm could be him joining as a fellow resident of the Room. Maybe even Kasumi (too), as suggested by some of you!
Edit 27: Remember how everyone gets limited access to the Wild Card because the P3 and P4 Heroes are in close proximity in PQ? What if everyone gets the Wild Card here for the same reason, wouldn't that be an amazing late-game boost for everyone, add a ton more complexity and nuance to team-building and give you a way to keep your favourite characters on your team? And what if having Kasumi around (Wild Card or not) means Joker and Goro keep their full potential instead of losing it like in PQ? What if having Kasumi around gives the three of them (or even the whole team) even more benefits, like a new evolution to their base Personas? I keep forgetting to add this one...
P.S. It'd also be interesting to spend the new semester in the Velvet Room with the door unlocked too. Maybe we'll be able to explore it and see the dungeons where everyone else gets imprisoned - if not even more? (Speaking of, while Goro may be arrested and feel like he deserves it to boot, will Kasumi? She's a mysterious one after all!)
There are new Network functionalities added, though what they are isn't explained. You can warp immediately to the hideout though, I'm looking forward to that! (Even if it isn't available in this particular screenshot...) Edit 18: Is the option unavailable because there's no Palace to infiltrate? If so, what about Mementos? Or is the Metaverse unavailable for story reasons (as it sometimes was in the core game)? But why so early on - is the reason related to the new story? By the way, I think it's safe to assume the Circle and X options will be swapped in the Western release - Japan often uses Circle for "Yes" and X for "No" in menus and worldwide releases almost always swap these around (e.g. in the base Persona 5 as well as in other games like Nier:Automata).
Shoji Meguro and Lyn have done new work for the game, with the latter also singing new opening, ending and battle songs. Maybe we'll get a battle theme on the level of Rivers in the Desert!
The game will be PS4 Pro enabled, meaning better graphics on that system. Also, the game is PS4 exclusive. Hopefully P5S will throw a bone to our Switch brethren!
--- Edit 1: Thanks to the screenshot in this thread (thank you, u/ZuskatoIsR3D) we can see Kasumi's stats in relation to everyone else's. Her numbers are lower than the other three, though this could just mean she recently joined the group and needs to catch up, but her SP is less than half her HP. This could mean either:
She's a melee/ gun-fighter. The latter would be interesting since we don't have one of those in the base roster (save Haru, but she's also the Psy character of the group so chances are you'll specialise her in one or the other field).
She's P4G!Naoto levels of OP and the low SP count is to mitigate that.
She's badly optimised OR that this is simply an early build of the game :P
The next batch on information will come on May 9th. However, there's also a talk show tomorrow with Joker's VA that was supposed to give P5R info, which makes me think tomorrow will just have a recap of today's stuff (along with info of an upgrade deal for existing owners, I hope). Persona 5 Royal releases on Halloween in Japan and 2020 in the West (the English trailer also confirms the Western name drops the "The" in the Japanese title as many suspected, following P4G's example). 'til then, enjoy! I hope you found this useful! Edit 4: Theories (marked with "(*X)" above):
It's possible that the meeting between Kasumi, Ren and Akechi is where we hear the dialogue from last month's trailer ("What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?") After all, them meeting at all means she isn't restricted to only meeting him at the TV station, and this gives her more time to form an opinion on how they work - at least until finding her way into the metaverse and seeing what they do and why.
u/TheReaperCreeper had a much better suggestion than me: what if Akechi is the one who turns himself in for Ren's sake? As another user of the Metaverse he can also answer questions about it to get Shido sentenced, while also paying for his own crimes. Better still, he could claim to be the leader of the Thieves to keep the law off everyone else's backs, thus getting to redeem himself while also being punished for the things he did. Thanks, Reaper!
I was going to say Kasumi may only be important because she was in the right place at the right time, but this certainly hints at a more supernatural cause if true.
u/hypercombofinish suggested Kasumi's Persona could be Dorothée, and since her outfit shares so many similarities to Joker's I think this is highly likely. For those who don't know, Dorothée is the lead character of the novel The Secret Tomb, the only Arsène Lupin book in which Arsène himself doesn't appear. Instead the plot is about Dorothée solving one of his "four fabulous secrets". This could be highly fitting for someone initially disagrees with the Thieves before becoming one herself and would also tie her into Joker's "mythology" the same way Marie and her backstory tied into Izanagi's (and thus Yu) - assuming Kasumi is the Aeon Arcana and not a Fool or Jester or something completely different, of course.
The trailer as a whole has a small narrative running about Kasumi trying to dissuade the Thieves from their work, while Morgana tells her they won't be swayed by the danger or not getting results. This provides some early insight into her character, but maybe she eventually goes off the deep end and tries to control everything as a way of keeping everyone safe? Morgana telling her that "granting everyone's dreams is bad" and her saying she "took everyone's dreams" is also quite interesting. Maybe Wakaba and human!Morgana are just illusions? I plan on making a full post about the translated trailer tomorrow, but this is just something to sleep on until then.
--- (Just search for "Edit X" to see what each change entailed. Check the time stamp to see if I added anything you missed or want to correct!) Edit 1: Just added a few tweaks based on stuff I've seen elsewhere on the sub and stuff I forgot to add the first time. P.S. ...am I the only one who thinks Kasumi looks better in her school uniform? Anyone? Maybe because I like clothed people and the pose shows her off better? Edit 2: Amended the descriptions of Kasumi's weapons. Edit 3: Added a detail I overlooked the first time and clarifications from Persona Central's article. (Edit made at 16:53 UTC.) Edit 4: Added translations for the new boy and a theory section, 17:31 UTC. Edit 5: Added more translations, a correction about Joker's grappling hook and a new theory! 21:47 UTC. Edit 5.5: Added a quick note I forgot to under the "mysterious boy's" section. 21:54 UTC. Edit 6: Another edit, another translation! 22:22 UTC. Edit 7: Added information from the translated trailer and u/quitethewaysaway's observation. 22:50 UTC. Edit 7.5: Edited theory 5, 22:53 UTC. 25th April Edit 8: I wrote another post about the translated trailer and added some new speculation there including possible Gnostic influences! Also I added a possible explanation for the alarms ringing in the Velvet Room. 9:40 (am) UTC. Edit 9: This has nothing to do with Persona 5 Royal, but I wrote a post for P5S too! It's nowhere near as detailed as this one (since we have nowhere near as much info), but I hope you find it worth reading nonetheless! 14:39 UTC. Edit 10: Added a shower thought inspired by Kasumi's cosplayer. 16:19 UTC. Edit 11: Added a detail about Futaba's AOA that I noticed on rewatching the trailer. 18:14 UTC. Edit 12: Finally managed to snag a picture of the above, and also added a scene from the trailer I didn't think worth mentioning before but have since changed my mind on. 21:13 UTC. 27th April Edit 13: Added a new observations from the trailer. 08:35 UTC (am). Edit 14: Added more info about a screenshot. 13:05 UTC. Edit 15: Added some info from Twitter. I wish I knew of MysticDistance's work sooner! 13:54 UTC. Edit 16: Added some observations from the trailer. 20:15 UTC. Edit 17: Added a screenshot of the mystery figure on the TV screen. 20:47 UTC. 28th April Edit 18: Added more details from Twitter, some speculation and a feature about the cutscenes I keep forgetting to add! 10:09 UTC. Edit 19: Added speculation about when Kasumi joins the Thieves as well as a theory on Okumura's Palace. 14:05 UTC. Edit 20: Added some speculation and further observations. 16:52 UTC. UPDATES: This post is now too long to add to, so further updates will be added in the comments (along with text from here to show where the new details fit in. Edit 21: Can be found here. 22:17 UTC. (Edit 21.5: Added a link to the magazine article and boldened the links to the trailer and site. 22:25 UTC). 29th April Edit 22: Can be found here and contains some further speculation! 19:13 UTC. Edit 23: Can be found here and details Kasumi's animations and possible symbolism of her stats/ potential playstyle. 19:36 UTC. Edit 24: More speculation! 20:03 UTC. Edit 25! 21:32 UTC. 30th April Edit 26! 20:12 UTC. (Edit 26.5: Added the above date and italicised it and the 29th for better clarity. 21:13 UTC.) Edit 27: Added something I've been forgetting to add ever since adding the speculation of Goro (and Kasumi) joining Joker as "inmates," followed by some shower thoughts! 21:48 UTC. Edit 28! A big one if I say so myself, about Kasumi's theorised code name, "Swan". Now I really hope we were right! 22:06 UTC. 4th May Edit 29, 30 and 31: I was able to cover a lot over the past few days, including an analysis of Kasumi's character and name so far and translations for everything on the trailer and website! 16:49 UTC. Edit 32: A new thought and an old thought. 23:00 UTC. 5th May Edit 33: A thought regarding the narrative impact of the similarities between Kasumi and Joker's outfits. 10:01 UTC. Edit 34: Wrote an analysis of the main song, Colors Flying High, and added some suggestions for the origins and implications of Kasumi's powers! 15:14 UTC. 6th May Edit 35: More theories based on suggestions from the comments! 14:16 UTC. Edit 36: New theories from the comments and something I keep forgetting to mention. 14:43 UTC. Edit 37+ listed here!
GONG… GONG… GONG… That infernal ringing at sunrise on day twenty-four of the killing game is more than enough to get everyone awake and out of their designated shelters bright and early. Some refuse to leave the comfort of their sheets, but once it’s discovered that Monokuma is the cause of the sound, they reluctantly come and see what’s going on this time. Monokuma is standing right at the end of the teepee path, where it meets the village center. There, he’s smacking a stick he found somewhere into an Oriental-style gong at regular intervals. His new companion, the purple eagle with the PhD, is standing right beside him. Just like all the previous mascots, this one displays no qualms at talking smack at the bear. “Ya got your cultures mixed up there, moron…” Monokuma angrily tosses the stick at Professor Dr. McFly’s talons once he sees that all the participants of the killing game have finally arrived. “Well how did you want me to wake them up? Yelling ‘wolololo?’” McFly just scoffs You and your friends have probably had enough of this, so one of the teens quickly speaks up and asks Monokuma what the hell he’s up to this time. “Oh, that?” Monokuma shrugs nonchalantly and points behind himself in the direction of the farms with a paw. “Cuz real fire alarms haven’t been invented yet.” Everyone, of course, looks over to where Monokuma is pointing. You quickly wonder how you didn’t notice that before. “F-F-Fire!” someone yells in a squeaky voice. They’re right, it seems as though a column of dangerous black smoke is rising from the storage huts right next to the farm area. Some panic and wonder what to do. “Too bad there’s no water in the desert, am I right?” Monokuma taunts. Loathe as they are to admit it, you and your companions understand his hint and start dashing around Glenn’s Run, grabbing any container they can find and filling it with water from the river or the moats around the farm plots. It seems as though only one of the storage teepees is actually ablaze, but it could easily spread to others in this dry environment. During this chaos, it’s confirmed that all twelve remaining survivors are accounted for, so no one’s in that fire, luckily… It takes a few heart-throbbing minutes, through which Monokuma and McFly only hurl backhanded words of encouragement—’Yeet that water! Is that how that word is used?’—or straight-up mocking, but the buckets and jars of river water are able to snuff out the last of the flames on that storage hut, leaving a soggy mess of ash behind. It’s quickly surmised by the teens who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and dig through the soot that this was the food tent. The cornmeal is all burned and lost, ruined even further by the water. Very few fruits and vegetables escape unharmed, only sheltered from the flames by being at the bottom of their containers. The meat is… cooked. But mostly just charred. At least the alcohol escaped unscathed, protected by its own clay container. This is a big blow to the food supply. Everyone looks on the mess in sadness. One of the kids optimistically points out, “I guess we’ll have to eat from the farm for the day until Monokuma restocks this place…” After all, Monokuma restocked the M.K. Corral and Grand Buffet every night. “Nope!” Monokuma jumps in out of nowhere, cannonballing into the ashy mess and sending dust flying everywhere. The robot is, of course, unperturbed by it. Professor Dr. McFly flaps their wings and lands softly nearby, giving crooked smile to the kids. “What do I look like to you? Some kind of farmer? This food was supposed to last you bastards the week or two that it’s usually been taking for someone to die... “ Monokuma puts his paws behind his back and looks down dejectedly, speaking to no one in particular. “If this was your idea of a murder plot, then you’ve really gotta pick something that works a little faster…” “Either way, this is a problem that’s gotta be resolved fast!” Monokuma crosses his arms. “I want murder, not starvation! Do you have any idea how boring some type of motive like that would be? No, this has to be something you bastards fix…” Monokuma paces in a circle, rubbing his chin. “What to do…” “You’ve replaced our food daily for almost a month now!” someone suddenly accuses. “Yeah! Isn’t there food right here on the train, anyways?” “Just give us the casino food again…” Monokuma ignores everyone. “CAWCAWCAW..! Wouldn’tcha like that? Nooo, I think it is time you spoiled little chicks ta pull ya weight around here! This entire time, my test results were falsified by you brats gettin’ pampered and fed simply because ya are our guests. I propose, we change up the formula a little bit. For science of course. From now on, you are in charge for keepin’ yaself - and each other - alive… at least, until someone gets fed up and snaps again. Ahh… how fickle humankind can be. I am already lookin’ forward to the new data-sets this will provide…” “You know, that’s not a bad idea, captain!” Monokuma offers a thumbs up and whirls happily. “But I don’t want to waste my time ordering you bastards around myself, so I guess you’ll have to do that part, too. Here, follow me!” There’s a lot of protests to this, of course, but everyone is eventually forced to follow Monokuma as he leads you all to the teepee path, stopping right at the totem pole. “This seems like a fitting spot, doesn’t it?” Monokuma asks McFly, who’s perched themselves atop the pole. The bird shrugs. “Yeah, we’ll do it here. And live!” The bear turns to face you all. “If you want to organize yourselves to get some food and junk, you’ll need a good leader to whip everyone into motion! But I’ve been doing that a lot lately, don’t ya think? It’s time for you to do my job for me! So I’ve made my decision… one of you needs to be the chief of Glenn’s Run!” Someone asks Monokuma what the heck he means by that. “Maybe not permanently… that’d be boring. How about every day? Yeah, every day, right here, I’ll crown one of you lucky few the chief of the village! That chief is gonna be the one who rations out what little food you have left and who works on the farm or docks to get more! After all, there’s enough of you to put some grit into this, right?” You and the others are a little confused and uneasy by this, but it doesn’t seem so bad yet... “Of course, I’ll be around to give the chief my own little tips and tricks on being the leader along the way.” And that is when everyone starts to feel worried at this whole situation. What could Monokuma be planning to do? He definitely wants to use this to his advantage. Monokuma proceeds to lightly tap on the side of the totem pole with his claws, smirking. “So let me consult the, uh, spirits here… and the most fitting chieftain of Glenn’s Run will be chosen for the day!” What follows is an idiotic display of Monokuma running in a small circle around the totem pole while banging on it and muttering nonsense the whole way through. It ends with him doing a triumphant knee slide and extending a claw to point forwards at someone in the crowd of kids. “Hideyoshi Satou!” “It’s pronounced ‘Satou,’” Professor Dr. McFly corrects. “... Satou!” Hideyoshi is, of course, taken a little aback by the sudden pointing. Monokuma doesn’t let him talk back before ordering, “Come talk to me in your swanky new chief’s tent,” he begins, pointing to the one shelter on the teepee path that’s been unused this whole time, “so I can explain your duties a little better and maybe even let you have breakfast! Everyone else, dismissed! Remember, you’ve gotta do everything our li’l resident seamstress here tells you to do, puhuhu…!”
Ballpark Village is ringing in this New Year with added entertainment featuring the region's best DJ's along with the Pop 2000 tour hosted by Chris Kirkpatrick of *NYSNC with performances by O-Town, Ryan Cabrera & LFO's Brad Fischetti.
Brennan’s Work & Leisure and Anti-Agency invite you on a space odyssey to celebrate the New Year, 2020.
Once aboard the ship, enjoy a premium bar selection, heavy appetizers of the future by Chef Josh Galliano (Companion Bakery, The Libertine) and interstellar desserts by Pastry Chef Tai Davis. Groove to the night's soundscape provided by DJ Black Guy, then step into the Zero Gravity Live Feed Photo Booth to send evidence of your journey back home.
All passengers must report to the orbiter near midnight for a live music performance, projection show and champagne toast to the New Year. Dress: modern cocktail attire / space shuttle launch
Casino Queen invites area residents to partake in one of St. Louis’ biggest parties of the decade during its New Year’s Eve celebration on Tuesday, December 31. Guests will enjoy a specialty buffet, live DJ cranking out the tunes on the casino floor, a countdown to midnight with party favors for all and exclusive prize giveaways throughout the evening.
Dress to impress for 7th Annual New Year's Eve Ball at The Chase Park Plaza. The celebration takes place in the legendary Khorassan Ballroom and will feature musical performances of DJ Greasy, Lamar Harris & The L, and a Frank Sinatra tribute.
Also, the event will have a premium open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, a balloon drop, and a champagne toast at midnight.
On New Year's Eve, Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House will host live music of all genres beginning at 6 p.m. until 12:45 a.m. The restaurant's full menu is served until 10 p.m. with a complimentary appetizer buffet from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and a champagne toast at midnight. No cover; cash bar. Tuesday, December 31, 6 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.
Your evening begins with a three-course, prix fixe dinner at the swanky Union 30 restaurant in Hotel Saint Louis, where options include a 30-ounce tomahawk ribeye, a 24-ounce dry-aged sous vide pork chop, or king crab legs. The $125 price includes admission to the NYE Blast at FORM Skybar on the 14th floor, which will host the Kim Massie Band, an open premium bar, and an appetizer buffet. There’s no charge for the prime view of the fireworks show at Kiener Plaza
In one of the most picturesque locations in all of Downtown St. Louis, meet us in the exclusive Sky Lobby to ring in the New Year. Recreating the eclectic energy of New York City, join us to watch the ball drop under the stars at midnight and move your feet to Spanky's Dueling Piano!
Ring in the new year with a view of the magnificent St. Louis skyline at this party cruise hosted by the Gateway Arch Riverboats. Featuring an elegant three-course dinner, open bar, DJ entertainment and a midnight champagne toast, the fun kicks off at 9 p.m. Reservations required.
Ring in the New Year with an evening filled with laughter courtesy of Ryan Niemiller! Skip the chaos of the bars and enjoy a special night with food and drinks from the comfort of our restaurant, bar, lounge, and showroom.
Ring in the new decade with two ballrooms with live music and fun at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch’s Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party. The celebration will include a delicious dinner buffet, an open bar, photo booth, party favors and live music throughout the evening from Groovethang and Broseph.
Get ready to party! Molly's In Soulard has one of the THE BEST New Years Eve parties in STL. They've got: 5 open bars, Two balloon drops, Champagne toasts, VIP buffets, VIP tables, and cabanas
One of the more appropriate places to ring in the new year and decade is POP, Dave and Kara Bailey’s bubbles bar and restaurant in Lafayette Square. This year, POP and Baileys’ Chocolate Bar (located upstairs) have teamed up to provide an all-inclusive celebration on December 31. The all-inclusive celebration begins at 9 p.m. Food stations include appetizers from POP and specialty desserts from Baileys’ Chocolate Bar. Tickets include beer, wine, bubbles, and cocktails, including chocolate martinis and dessert cocktails.
Music Director Stéphane Denève and the SLSO bring 2019 to a close at the BMO Wealth Management New Year’s Eve Celebration. Enjoy an evening of music and surprises at St. Louis’ best-kept secret. Bring family and friends together for this musical celebration you’ll remember throughout 2020.
Out with the old and in with a new decade. Celebrate with Tin Roof at their NYE "End of a Decade" Black and White Ball. Dress up in your best or come as you are and catch the best live music and DJ's around.
Celebrating NYE at Westport Social means you can play like a kid while partying like an adult. For just a $25 cover, guests can play the full range of games at the Westport Plaza watering hole while also indulging in a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight and dance to live music.
Another year in the books and there’s no other holiday party like Wheelhouse NYE. And nothing is better than closing out 2019 and starting 2020 with you, your closest friends and WH doin’ what they all do best, wild out.
Brewery Lights is a family-friendly event, open to all ages at no cost. Guests can attend every Friday through Sunday, from 5 to 10 p.m.
Join others when they Flip The Switch on November 22nd with St. Louis Blues Captain, Alex Pietrangelo.
Witness and experience the magic of more than a million twinkling lights during the 34th annual Brewery Lights at the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery! Guests are invited to stroll down Pestalozzi Street to marvel as the brewery is turned into a remarkable holiday experience with something for everyone, including a Kids Zone.
Every holiday season, the neighbors of this Saint Louis Hills street transform this ordinary lane into a winter wonderland that most of St. Louis knows as “Candy Cane Lane.” Hundreds of strands of Christmas Lights are strung, inflatable snowmen and Christmas trees are blown up, wreaths are hung, and even sand displays are made. Every year, hundreds of family-packed cars drive down Candy Cane Lane to see the wonderful Holiday sights.
Your favorite Disney stories come to life at Disney On Ice presents Celebrate Memories, coming to Enterprise Center January 2-5! Sail along with Moana on her high-seas adventure and dance with Woody, Buzz and all the Toy Story friends. Feel inspired when love wins in Frozen and dreams come true for the Disney Princesses. Share the excitement and make new memories the whole family will treasure forever!
Learn the real science behind science fiction and mingle with others interested in the geekier side of life. Each month, First Friday features a different theme, hands-on activities, pub-style trivia, engaging presentations, photo opps for showing off your costume, and food and drink specials.
Garden Glow features a million lights surrounding visitors with a spectacle of unique installations amid some of the Garden’s most iconic locations. Enjoy interactive photo opportunities, traditional holiday music and festivities, delicious food and drinks and more as the Garden is transformed around you into a winter wonderland.
Santa will visit Garden Glow from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday nights from November 25 through December 17. (Note: Garden Glow is not open on Dec. 9.)
History was made on June 12, 2019. It’s a date that will forever live in St. Louis sports history. On that day, the St. Louis Blues hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, the Missouri History Museum, in collaboration with the St. Louis Blues, will open History Made.
Featuring more than 20 artifacts on loan from the St. Louis Blues from the historic playoff run and the Stanley Cup Finals, History Made tells the story of the underdog team that took home the NHL’s highest honor and united its community in the process.
A dazzling winter spectacular featuring more than a million glittering lights, holiday entertainment, delicious seasonal treats, visits with Santa and many of our popular theme park rides. Combine holiday traditions with a thrilling family experience that is uniquely Six Flags.
Six Flags St. Louis extends its season and will be open weekends and select weekdays from November 23 through January 1, 2020 for this one-of-a-kind magical event.
A unique mix of holiday cheer with some of your favorite coasters & thrill rides makes Holiday in the Park a family tradition like no other. Meet Santa Claus in the North Pole or jump on Mind Eraser or Roar for a mid-winter rush. Then you can roast marshmallows near a cracking wood fire before you catch one of our many holiday shows.
Looking for somewhere new to get your party on this Holiday Season? For just a few weeks only, Oaked will be providing the very best in holiday-themed libations, good food, and an immersive atmosphere.
Housed in a historic brick building with almost 6,000 sq. feet of space (excluding the outdoor heated patio & bar), featuring 3 bars, and 2 levels of fun. Once inside, you’ll be transported to a Winter Wonderland and treated like family. Santa Claus will be on hand to spread holiday cheer and greet our guests as they arrive.
Oaked is located at 1031 Lynch St. St. Louis, MO 63118
Kwanzaa is a Swahili term that means “first fruits,” and this contemporary African-American holiday centers around the feast table of the harvest. A Kwanzaa ceremony highlights a day of storytelling, craft and jewelry displays, and authentic African drumming and musical performances.
It’s that time of year! The Loading Dock Bar & Grill in Grafton is gearing up for the Grand Re-Opening of their Ice Skating Rink on Saturday, November 23rd. Each November The Boatworks is transformed into a Winter Wonderland offering ice skating, s’mores tables, and a full menu and bar, that is sure to entertain adults and kids alike.
The rink will be open Friday, Saturday, & Sunday through March 8. 2020 with extended hours during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Special events this year include a visit from Santa and a New Years Eve party.
Venue: Small Change 2800 Indiana Avenue St. Louis, MO 63118
Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally-developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to, Miracle is sure to get even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.
Guests will take a real train ride from St. Louis Union Station to the 'North Pole' and discover the magical journey of one boy's search for the real meaning of Christmas. The Train Ride departs from St. Louis Union Station for a 45-minute adventure to the North Pole. The train ride is promised to be filled with magic, songs, and cheer.
Soulard Farmers Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different eateries that have many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
Steinberg Skating Rink is the largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Midwest, offering public skating all day, everyday—including all holidays. Your skate admission is valid for all day. You may arrive at anytime during business hours & skate as long as you like.
Go "Up on the Rooftop" for a whimsical holiday cocktail pop-up experience with extreme decor and delicious seasonal drinks, small plates and more. Three Sixty at the top of the Hilton at the Ballpark overlooks the downtown lights and the glowing Gateway Arch. Cozy indoor spaces and outdoor patio fire pits.
November 30, 2019 - December 21, 2019 (Saturdays Only)
Usher in the holiday season with a “traditional” European WinterMarkt at Urban Chestnut’s Midtown Brewery & Biergarten. Eat, drink, and be merry with local vendors on hand for holiday shopping
Enjoy a stroll through more than one million twinkling lights at Winter Wonderland. Tickets are $6, not including MetroTix fees. Pre-registration is required. Dogs on a leash, cameras, strollers and wagons are all welcome. Desserts, hot chocolate, and other beverages will be available for purchase. Also, be on the lookout for a special visitor from the North Pole until 8:45 pm!
November 23 - January 26, 2019 (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays)
A favorite St. Louis winter tradition for all ages, the fourth annual Winterfest, presented by Bank of America and World Wide Technologies returns to Kiener Plaza and features a community ice rink, a Winter Market shopping district, reserved Igloo seating with Sugarfire table service and more exciting events than ever before.
Big Muddy Adventures was established in 2002. They are the first professional outfitteguiding company providing access to the wild wonders of the Middle Mississippi and Lower Missouri Rivers.
ZipTour zip lines take about 2.5 hours to complete. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riders are assigned to tour groups which are escorted through the course by two safety guides.
Always check the Snow Report before coming out to Hidden Valley for updates on snow and tubing conditions. Skiing, snowboarding, and tubing are weather-dependent activities and conditions and hours are subject to change without notice.
Experience the Gateway to the West with Sofar! From The Grove to Cherokee Street to The Loop, they're reimagining live events through curated, secret performances in intimate settings. Come mingle with touring acts, local and international artists, fellow music lovers and our imaginative hosts.
Celebrated as one of today's most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 140th year with the 2019/2020 season and its first with Music Director Stéphane Denève. Widely considered one of the world's finest orchestras, the SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community connections – all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.
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