You're here because you enjoy the stories we make, and well, while we're currently working very hard to bring you the next installment of Dark Dice, we thought you might enjoy our very first TTRPG, or actual play podcast, Liberty Vigilance.
Join Peter Joseph Lewis, the voice of Soren Arkwright, and Caitlin Statz, the voice of Sister Cavernsfall, as they work with Sean Daniel Francis, Caitlin Buckley, Daniel Thoreson, and Ashley Birch, the voice of Aloy, from Horizon Zero Dawn, to uncover a terrible conspiracy surrounding their brainwashed home.
I was also the Game Master, but had a bit of a mental insecurity about my own voice, so instead of hearing me, you'll hear one of my all-time favorite voice actors, Wayne June from Darkest Dungeon, reading my parts, in addition to the cast of over 30 voice actors taking the rest of the roles as NPCs.
These are the voices of Duke Nukem, The Walking Dead, Space Ghost, and so many more, and the same sound designer as Dark Dice, me, and features an already-completed story told over 13 chapters.
You've made it this far, so get ready for Liberty Vigilance.
Liberty.Vigilance.Episode 1.The Model Citizen.The fifth day of the fifth month in the year 705.Four citizens wait in a room, quiet and of sedulous minds.
Though each possess their own career and path, their lives have intersected on this day because they share a common cause.Volunteering otherwise idle time to the Department of Public Services, Division of Community Order.
Also known as the DCO, the Division of Community Order handles non-violent or domestic law and its enforcement within the grand city of Atreus.
With less required training, minimal firepower, and less authority than the Civil Defense Force, the DCO is limited in scope to local investigations, domestic conflicts, routine patrols, petty dispute resolution, and missing persons investigations.
The four citizens present are steadfast volunteers, reluctant or otherwise, and though they're familiar with the names and to some degree the faces of those present, meaningful conversation or interaction has since eluded the group.
But now they find themselves assigned to work together under the guidance of Enforcer Sergeant Mueller in the primary DCO station of District 9.The four citizens will now describe themselves, starting with Junior Engineer Horatius McBride.
Horatius McBride is someone who's probably of South American or Cuban ancestry.Dark hair, coffee-colored eyes, and olive skin.He looks young, but at the same time, he's got the thousand-yard stare going on.
He's been through some stuff, and he has a couple of intriguing facial scars to match.He looks like the kind of guy who'd, like, stroll into a bar with a flannel shirt on and start playing pool, you know, like, uh...
I guess that's the best way I can think to describe him.I guess if you were to look about his person, you'd notice that he has a couple of small, interesting, and industrial-looking tools that he carries about him, and I guess that's about it.
Next is DCO Agent Cassius Sogut.
Sogut.I'm sorry about that.Sogut.
All right.My character is Cassius Sogut, who was born in a male body and didn't change her name after the transition. She is 6 feet tall and a muscular 180 pounds.
People looking at her might think she's even bigger than that by the way she holds herself.Forward and confident, she's like a very imposing figure.If people notice her, of course.
She is very good at melting into a crowd so she can watch and learn from the background.Her skin is a dark East Asian complexion, making her piercing violet eyes really stand out.They're contacts, but they're practically a part of her.
She has long, dark hair in a complex braid that is pinned meticulously in a knot on the back of her head.Most striking, however, are her tattoos.
Gaps between her shirt and gloves suggest they are full sleeves going down the length of her long arms, and you can see continuations on her neck starting at the base of her skull going into her collared shirt.
They're simple, clean, and sharp geometric designs in interweaving blue, purple, and white.
She's 28, but creases around her forehead and eyes show that maybe she's gone through more than she should have by now, made worse by the bags under her eyes and the slouched shoulders that a good night's sleep would have taken care of.
You think maybe she hasn't seen enough of those.She pretty much has three expressions.The pre-caffeine glower, the post-caffeine snark, and the you-denied-me-caffeine rage.Right now, she's wearing the first.
Also present is lab technician Diana Azad.
So I play Diana Zand who is a woman of Persian descent who has a very clean cut black bob and most of her clothing is entirely clean and pristine and looks almost sterile.She has
usually is wearing a lab coat, but now she's not because she's working with the DCO.And so she just has on the very gray, plain clothing she would usually wear to the lab.She works in the field of meal improvement.
So she actually creates the food slash currency of the world.And she never really seems to look as interested in people as she is in puzzles and projects.
And finally, the disgraced private investigator, Sylvanus Clarehout.
Absolutely.My name is Sylvanus Clarehout.I'm a pretty average build in height, kind of a stocky guy, darker skin, dark gray hair.It actually has a streak of white in it along the left side from a scar underneath where my hair has grown in.
I have another scar on my opposite eyebrow, and they're both from run-ins with my nemesis, which we may get to later.
The DCO Station in District 9 is a bustling building, even at this hour.But the citizens have assembled in a forgotten meeting space, secluded from the busy thrum of the day-to-day. sitting before the team's Enforcer Sgt.Belbinius Mueller of the DCO.
Enforcer Sgt.Mueller has been friendly, comradely, and welcoming in the short time the team has known him.
A full-time Enforcer Sgt., he has been facilitating the team's individual training, and now readily assigns their first team assignment, in which they will be acting on their own within the DCO under Agent Sogut.
I am always ready to facilitate any requisition orders or answer any questions you might still have.After all, it's a privilege to work with part-time members from other departments.
Each of you brings a unique and invaluable perspective to the Division of Community Order.Can I offer you any flashlights or chemical spray?These are routine missing persons reports.
And while I don't suspect you'll find yourself in any real danger, sometimes it's the small things that give us the confidence we need.
I would also like some chemical spray and a flashlight if possible, sir.
Certainly.Mueller unlocks a narrow drawer on his desk, using the mark on his hand, revealing a row of marked tins, a fine assortment of chemical sprays.
Here we are.Thanks.Mr. Garcia will provide you with the flashlights on your way out.
How often would you like us to check in with you?
If you follow my suggested route, you can just check in at the end of the day.You should have no difficulty returning before I leave for the evening.
Well, your optimism is noted.Bet you'll think that we'll do this in time.
It really shouldn't be too much work, honestly.There are fairly few leads on each one, and the cases are fairly unremarkable.I do, however, have faith in what you can accomplish.You are all exceptional individuals.Well, if there's nothing else,
May the Archon watch over you.The Skyrail Station 17 should be near your first stop, and you can read up on the cases on your ride over.Reeve endures.Reeve endures.Reeve endures.
Here are the flashlights you asked for.
And Peter successfully takes the flashlight.Good job.Thank you.
All right.So did I hear that right?Are we going to district?Wait, are we going to station 17 or station four?
We're going to station 17 to take the Skyrail to District 4.Okay.
You're welcome.Diana was it?
Okay.The air is stale as the team arrives at Station 17.The Skyrail station is nearly empty this early.More so during days off from labor like this one.
Taking a few of the many empty seats on the B Skyrail line, the team studies the missing persons report for Hadrian Baker.As the walls dividing Districts 9 and 10, and subsequently 10 and 4, pass by in a blur around them.
Tapping open the report, the information on their quarry buzzes into light. Missing person number one, citizen Hadrian Baker, male, dark complexion, dark hair, slim build, age 34.He has a bachelor's mark and first tier lethality.
He is listed as a DCO agent who has not reported for duty in over a week.He lives in apartment 14B on floor 25 of tower 18, located in district four, Victory Causeway.
Family includes Hilda, his mother, and Junia, his sister, who cohabitate in Apartment 8A on Floor 12 of Tower 11 in District 4.
So we're seeming to be looking for Citizen Hadrian Baker, who's reported missing from... his work?
Yes.Citizen Hadrian Baker failed to report to his post at the DCO.
But he didn't show up for over a week.
Huh.That's a little abnormal.
clearly are new to the DCO.
And they didn't report him until that last day?Like, it doesn't seem as though that's very efficient.
Since it's somewhat typical for part-time enforcers to be absent for a day or two, due to their more demanding careers, it's not atypical that he wouldn't have been reported as missing for a week.
So if we're going to this district, are we going to go see his work first, or his family, or his apartment?
We should probably seek out his employer and see what he was working on.
Yeah, we could go into the work.He worked for Sergeant Culliver, so... Can I check if I have accessed any additional information about him?
That would require a successful investigation check.
Wow, that's pretty good. Here's some additional information about Hadrian Baker, guys.Looks like he's a loner.He used to have a family, but it seems that his wife, Apella, and a daughter both died due to complications during childbirth.
Uh, what?Are you Sylvanas?
Alright, I'm making notes about you.How do you say Horatious?
Uh, Horatious.It's like Horatio, but with a U.S.instead of an O. Alright, got it.
It's just the right time for us to catch the sunrise in about five more minutes.
What am I doing here?Community service, of course.Why?Yeah, come on.
It's for the betterment of Atrium Society.I'm still confused.
Are we getting off here or Station 17?
We left Station 17.This is Station 10, our stop.
Okay.So, we can get off here.Yeah.
This is District 4.The file says that his employer and family are both fairly close by.
His family is closer, right?
Yeah.They're loosely between us and his employment.
The air in District 4 feels somehow fresher than that of District 9.It is only a short walk to the elevators, yet some take it in a stroll.
Additionally, according to this missing persons report, we're advised to visit his family first.
Does it say why we're advised to visit the family first?
Just because they're the closest.Enforcer Sergeant Mueller's path is a very direct one.Utilitarian.Look at the map.This is the central city.This little chunk is District 4.We're here.This is the last job.
Mueller's bringing us to a series of stops that would have us go... like this.
While we're doing the diagram, where is the location of where we would be going to look up Trudent Dekana's home?
Dekana's home is right here.
So why is it that we shouldn't start on Dekana if we're right there?
We are currently right here.I apologize for my horrible little map.
And where would be Dubson?
Hmm, Dobson is here, in the central city.He's the furthest away.
Alright, I still think it might take us more time, but because his work reported him missing, going to his work first makes the most sense.
I guess that's a fair point, but at the same time, if he hasn't been showing up to work, they won't know what he's been up to since he's missing.
Maybe if we see his family, they'll have an insight into his mental state and a better idea of what he'd be doing.
Bother find me.Yeah, I agree with Horatius.Alright, let's just go to the family.
Still mostly void due to the hour, the team procures an elevator without delay.
I hope you need to bring life back to your eyes.
From the highway floor, hundreds of feet from the streets below, the air breezes by cooler, crisp, and the enthusiastic volunteers can look out to see Tower 11, the hexagonal skyscraper where the mother and sister of missing person number one, Hadrian Baker, live.
When we go into the building, what kind of level of building is it?
Because I know that some of the buildings in Atreus are very high security, they have security cameras, and then some of them are kind of more like things that were put up with scrap metal.
So does this one seem to have that security level that would allow me to look at camera feeds or anything like that?
As they grow closer, Azad notices the numerous modern security features Tower 11 sports.
Oddly, as the cost would be substantial, most of the gleaming, placid glass has upgrades beyond its natural form, boasting compatibility with smart technologies and just waiting for activation.
One of the benefits of the affluence and wealth of the inner districts of Atreus.
Do we have to scan our marks to be able to get in the building?
So if I go to their security sector, would I be able to ask when the last time Baker scanned his mark at this building was?
That would require a successful computer use check.
Okay.So I'm going to go ahead and do that.
I said that was a nice idea.
Oh, thank you very much.All right.All right.Please don't be horrible.
Let me help you with that.Or not.All right, never mind.It's a pretty horrible role.I don't think Cassius can help with that.
Because of the tower's mismatch of original construction and emerging technologies, Azad is unable to get the exact date of Baker's last scan.
But she is able to determine that he has indeed entered this building.
All right.So let's go find the people who are related to him. Family.They're called family?
Well, no sense in wasting time here.Let's head up.
The team enters the building and rides the elevator up to the 12th floor. The interior is fairly clean and well-lit.
Children play a pog-based game in a common room further down the hallway, while a young couple exchange personal thoughts innocuously in the hall.The aroma of beef-flavored soup hangs in the air like a fog.The team stops just short of apartment 8A.
A young woman with the same dark familial complexion and hair as Hadrian answers the door.Her green eyes reflect confusion and intrigue at those beyond her door.
Greetings, citizens.What can I help you with this morning?
Yes, we're with the DCO.We're here to ask just a few questions about Hadrian Baker.Are you a relative of his?
Yes, I'm his sister.What can I help you?
We need to speak with you about him.Privately.
Invited by the woman, the team enters the primary room of the apartment.A clean living space with ample seating for those present and past soirees.Beyond the primary room, a short hallway appears to lead to additional rooms.
I go on in and I begin looking around, ignoring that there's a person in the room, rather untrusting of the people that we're looking into for this investigation.
Horatius just sorta wanders in, takes a seat in the chair, kinda tips it back a little like you do when you're bored at school, and then crosses one leg over the other.
I'm gonna walk in, take a seat, and then focus all my attention onto Hadrian's sister, just trying to judge her character.Specifically, how nervous she appears when she speaks, to see if she might be lying.Uh, so, what did you wish to discuss?
Thank you for your hospitality, uh, like I said, we're looking for your brother.I'm sorry, uh, what's your name again?
Jania, good to meet you.Have you seen your brother in the last few days?
No, the last time I've seen him was perhaps three weeks ago?
Yes, I think so, but my mother and I are expecting to see him in two weeks.We have a dinner planned.
We share a meal once a month.I look around the small apartment to see if I can spy anyone aside from Jania Baker.
Beyond the primary room, a short hallway appears to lead to additional rooms.An older woman dressed in her nightclothes and a shawl over her shoulders enters the room, seemingly drawn in from the sound of chatter.
Are you friends of Junia's?It's nice to have visitors, even unexpected ones.Can I get you anything to drink or a meal, perhaps?
We are here looking for Hadrian.Do you happen to be his mother?
Yes, yeah, I'm his mother.What's this about?
Do you have any information regarding his whereabouts?
Wait, he could be at work, his apartment, or perhaps an art showcase, or... Oh, you're with the DCO?
You seem to know more about him than your daughter does.Junea.Junia.Junia.She doesn't seem to know much about his whereabouts.
Well, you know, we don't see him all that often.He doesn't live with us.He hasn't since he's been an adult.He's coming over for dinner in two weeks, though.
I see. And where is Hadrian's father?Could we speak with him as well?
Oh, yeah, you'll find his name on the memorial plaque.He fought and died in the four-day war.
Thank you.He fought to protect Atreus. Hmm.So, Hadrian hasn't reported for work, is that it?
He's been reported missing by his job site after a full week of absence, so we've been assigned to check up on him.
We're seeking someone who might have a more current and detailed understanding of his whereabouts or routine.Would you have any idea where he might have gone to, since he clearly hasn't been at work?Do you know if he has any friends?
Agent Saugat needs to roll a persuasion check.
16.Quote, I know that he's involved in a strange club and goes to meetings.It's sort of a card game that meets in a private room near the cafe near the Z planetarium.There's a meeting every week or so.
Nothing too special, but perhaps it'll help you find him.
Do you know where specifically it's located or the name of the cafe?
The Sunrise Cafe?It's on the 17th floor of Tower 5.That much I remember. Sunset Cafe.Sunset.Yes.
How do you know so much about the group?Its location and whereabouts?
Well, I've been there with him once.He invited me to play a game with him and his friends.It was a strange game, and I wasn't really interested.
Strange how, if you don't mind me asking?
Very convoluted.It had complicated rules for such boring subject matter.
How did the people there seem towards your brother?
That's an interesting question.And I'm sorry that I'm not able to be of more assistance.I was focusing on everything I had just to stay awake and finish the game.I wouldn't trust my memory beyond that.It's been some months.
Didn't notice anything strange during your time there?
Not particularly.It's a very boring game and people are strangely invested in it.
I believe he was being generous when he played.
I don't know what that means.
For my sake, I believe we are only playing a portion of the game's rules to increase the speed of play.
Mrs. Baker, can I ask if you're a fellow model crafter?I ask as a citizen, not a professional.
Why, yes.Yeah, my husband got me interested.Yeah.Yeah, over the years, I've assembled quite the collection.
Would it be too much to ask to have you show me your collection?
Just this way. Janaya, may I run a computer analysis on your door to find out when the last time your brother signed in?Certainly.All right.All right.He was here at a point in the past.Maybe.
Janaya, if I may, your mother mentioned an art showcase.Was Hadrian an artist?
Let's try to speak of him in present tense, shall we?But to answer your question, not particularly.He's interested in recreational art that showcases, well, any sort of anatomy.He finds beauty in the strangest things.
To say that he's a very talented artist, or perhaps a very serious one? Anything beyond a recreational interest would be an overstatement.Sure.
Did he go to recreation centers to do figure drawing sessions, painting sessions, anything of the sort?Present tense, please.
He sometimes speaks of going to them, but I've never accompanied him, so I can't validate or invalidate his statements.I do not wish to hinder your investigation with a false lead. I will say that he hasn't been the same since his wife died.
Apella was wonderful, and now that she's no longer with us, he's been in a bit of a depression.
Do you think he would do something drastic because of this depression?
I am unsure, but I don't think so.I would not like to think so.
I can't help but be curious, and I hope you won't consider me rude for asking, but what were the circumstances of his wife's passing?
Complication due to childbirth.It's rare, but it does happen.
And did he get involved in this game before or after the death of his wife?
After.He's become somewhat reclusive.That's why we only see him once every month or so instead of weekly.
Oh, yeah, like I was saying, it's not much, but I do what I can.
Well, for someone who uses a dry brush, your work looks fantastic.
Well, you know, we can't all afford inks.
I'm going to research the name Apella Baker, which is his wife.So I want to know, like, where she worked.I'm just going to keep rolling.And eventually, odds are going to say maybe something will come up not hard.
All right, let's see.Drum roll.
Harsh.Well, at least it wasn't a critical fumble this time.
I would try to help out here, but all I've got is intimidate and weapon scare.I'm not doing either of those things to this poor woman.
Thank you.Anything else I can assist you with or or will that be all?
Thank you for your time, ma'am.If we have other questions, I hope you won't mind if we get in touch again in the future.
And maybe Archon watch over you.Thank you.Please find my son. Reeve endures.
Yeah, may the Archon watch over you and your family. I don't know why, but I just got this mental image of you bodily picking the mother up like, come this way, ma'am.Please give me a glass of water and then talk to me about your son.
Well, beyond an impressive collection, she didn't have much to add beyond that.The name of the cafe is the Sunset Cafe.
She's asking us to find her brother.I was like, I don't know.OK, yes, we'll try getting back to the map. Um, where did you say was closer?What was that big fumbly circle on the map?
Uh, that's his place of employment.
I thought that was his apartment.
So his apartment is this one.
Is that the X you're pointing to?
Yes, his apartment is this X. His place of employment is the big circle.
That's me circling the X so you can see it better.
No, no, no, no.What's that big jumbly circle in the middle?
Oh, this?That's the central city district.
Do you think I can see you pointing?No.
Well, just focus on your HUD, huh?I'm using the ping tool.So we are currently at... I'm actually... I can draw too.Oh, I'm drawing too.You just erase the map.
Sorry, here, it's back now.This thing, what was that one?
None of us can see what you draw unless you enable the group edit function.Okay, here we go.You may want to pick a different color.Oh, I didn't even know I could do different colors.Thank you.Okay, so this was the Skyrail station.
This was the house of the... Parents.And we are now here at this tower, which is this X. And that's also where his employment is.And his apartment is over here.
All right, so we can go to the employment and the Sunset Cafe and then check out his apartment afterwards.
So which one should we head to first?Employment?What do you guys think?
You know, I'm sorry, before we continue, I want to know if I can try and see if I can rack my brain and think about any boring card games with complex rules, like if I can identify the game that's being played based on the description I've been given.
Oh, Zaj, you gave me the virus.
I'm sorry.Well, there is one game that rings out in infamy as being the most dull.It is called Architectural Spectrum.
Yeah, I hear everyone who plays it dies of boredom.I know a thing or two about games.
So moving back to the investigation, I vote for going to his work first.
I second that notion again.They probably have caffeine there.
All right.Off to see Sergeant Culliver at the district's DCL.
Heading toward the DCO station in District 4, the team competes with a few groggy second-shift workers to access the elevator to the third floor.Following signs, they find themselves before the Division of Community Order station in Tower 18.
Thanks to the notes on Hadrian's file, they're able to determine that his superior is Enforcer Sergeant Coliver, whom the receptionist is more than cordial to direct them toward.
The ever-frowning Coliver is a short, stern man with thinning red and chestnut hair, his visage dominated by the matte black lipstick of a combat veteran of the Atrean military.However, he looks a bit too young to have been part of the four-day war.
Greetings, citizens.How can I serve you?
Uh, good morning.We're here on behalf of the DCO.We're investigating a missing persons report, and we were hoping to get some information from you.
Okay.Is this regarding Hadrian?
Uh, yes.As a matter of fact, it is.Citizen Hadrian Baker.Ah, so you're the ones that got the call, then.
I'm the one that reported him missing.Hadrian had a piss-poor work ethic.Always arrived tired and late for his shift. However, it's unlike him to entirely not arrive at all.And he's been missing for a few days now.
So in spite of his work ethic, he wasn't the sort to miss shifts for this extended a period of time.
Yes, he was a recent transfer from another unit that disbanded due to a lack of allocation.So none of us knew him too closely.But for the time he's been with us, he's at least bothered to show up.
Do you have any contacts on file for him from his previous work environment?
They probably have it at the Information Archive branch of the Commissariat Station on Crucible Avenue just up the block.
Why did you report him as missing?
But this was typical behavior for him.
Okay, you just don't seem to care.
He's... I don't know.He's a lazy worker, but I suspect that if you find him, maybe the demerit pay reduction, and maybe some time away, combined with that lack of income, will shake him.Maybe he'll actually arrive to his shifts punctually.
If something unpleasant were to happen to him, that would be nice. Feel free to just maybe smack him into place once or twice for dramatic effect.
Can one of you pull a background on this guy?He's acting suspicious.All right.I'd like to roll an insight to see if he's lying.
Wow.It's clear to Azad and Sogut that he's telling the truth.
Geez.Wasted it.I have a question.Do you know any... Do you have on file his last five DCO reports?
Uh, yeah.Yeah, I can get those for you.It'll take some time, but I can certainly get them for you.Is there somewhere specific you'd like them sent?
You can send it directly to my privacy hood.Here is the information.
All right.When I find them, I'll get them to you.Maybe later today or perhaps at the beginning of next week if things get busy.
Just send those files over to me.
If we need any additional information, I'm sure we'll be in touch.I'll be here.
I do have one more question.Did he have any co-workers who were especially close to him, or who he might be friends with outside of work?
No.Again, he was a recent transfer, so he hadn't made too many close bonds.Or any bonds whatsoever.And he generally worked alone.You know, it's not terribly uncommon, transferring from a disbanded unit,
You said that he was a poor worker, but did he seem more stressed out or more depressed in the recent days?
I wouldn't describe him as depressed.I'd describe his mental condition as exhausted, emotionally overworked, perhaps from lack of work.The mind does crazy things.Or maybe he had a second job, which was always my suspicion.
He only worked a partial week, but I never had the proper authority to confirm if he had a second job.It's not uncommon, though.Many within the DCO work multiple jobs.But look, who am I telling this to?
You could find this information, though, at the commissariat station on Crucible.
Well, thank you for- The woman there took personal pleasure in wasting my time.But, uh, you might be able to get some information from her.
Did she do something in particular to warrant that comment?
Well then, as you were.Reeve endures.
The team takes the elevator up to the 17th floor in Tower 11.Through the glass, they can see the sun rising lazily into a dull, reddening sky.
I'd just like to say that I love that guy.I really hope he comes up somehow later because he's hilarious.Okay.
Floor 17 has a series of wide hallways showcasing various commercial spaces, including a barber, an artesian food store, an art supply store, and signs that clearly indicate the direction of the Sunset Cafe.
I'm gonna go in the art supply store, because we know that he had an interest in art and— Greetings!
All of the stores appear to be closed due to the early weekend hour.
It's closed?Does it have a mark reader?
Azad approaches the smart glass of the art supply store, specifically trying to gauge the length of time the security footage is stored.She quickly determines that it's deleted locally after 30 days.
Is there any way that I know of that I could quickly sort through the video recordings, not having to watch like every minute of every freaking recording?
Thumbing quickly through the footage, Hazard concludes that she lacks the proper tools to speed up the process of finding Hadrian's face among those who have visited this store or the small section of hallway.
How much longer until the art store opens?
Approximately two hours.What?That's lazy.
All right.To the cafe.To the cafe.
Though the Sunset Cafe is completely devoid of customers, a well-dressed young man with greasy hair and an overly confident smile greets the team.Greetings, citizens.Table for four?
We're here on behalf of the DCO investigating a missing persons report.We're hoping to get some information from you about a missing employee.
The color promptly drains from the young man's face.Missing employee?
Yes.We're looking for a citizen.
I don't think he was an employee.I think he was a patron.Ah, shit.I think you just scared this man.
You'll have to forgive my compatriot.It's a little early in the morning.
I apologize.But what I meant to say was that we're looking for a citizen, specifically this individual.Have you seen this man? Um... We have reason to believe that he has been to your establishment with some regularity.
This citizen?I might have seen him.
I don't want to say yes and be wrong.I don't want to say no and be wrong.I don't remember him.Is this your establishment, sir?Yes, I am in fact the owner of the Sunset Cafe.May I ask your name?Sir Citizen Varinius Southstud.
Do you have a waitstaff?It's possible that they might have seen him.
You can.They usually get in, arrive in two hours from now.I open the cafe in the mornings and close in the evening.This is my passion, you see.I am a food artisan.
What a unique occupation.
It's within the DPA, Division of Interactive Media.I have a bachelor's degree in art. Ooh.
So we heard that the man we're looking for came here frequently to play a board game with several other people.Do you know who the other people he played the board game with were?
Citizen Marinius Oroco rents the back room twice a week for a regular private recreational event.
Do you happen to know when the next such meeting is coming up?
Should be the second and the sixth day of each week. Is that everything you'd like to know?
I'm going to step away and I'm going to run an investigation check on the name Oroko.Maybe we can get like an address or information on criminal history or anything.So don't be horrible.Don't be horrible.Don't be horrible.It's horrible.
Well, that's that's better.You know, well, if
Alright, so I have an apartment number.So we can check that out after we're done here.If we want to.
Okay.Nice work.You said you rented the room twice a week.Is that room right back there?Do you mind if we have a look?Yes.
Yes, certainly.Please come right this way.Can I also interest you in some breakfast?
We have an investigation to get to.Lives could be in danger.
I would not want to keep you from your work. The team is led to a large back room.As a meeting space, it could easily accommodate 40 individuals, and is plainly lined with nondescript chairs, tables, couches, and a magnificent view of the city below.
All right, I'm gonna do an investigation roll on the room, just to get a look around.
While it is currently set as a private dining room, it requires no stretch of imagination to visualize the space as a meet-up for a game of cards. Is the owner still hovering around?
He most certainly is.Pardon me, sir.Do you happen to know how many people this Mr. Roko invites to these games?Is it enough to fill the room?Oh, she.She.Oh, pardon me.She.And yes.
How would you describe the members of this organization?Law-abiding citizens?
Well, they're very friendly, certainly law-abiding citizens.I only allow, um, such people in my establishment.They're very friendly.They keep to themselves, they're quiet, they tip well, not suspiciously well or anything.
Um, they just play their boring game and I, well, they ask for some privacy.So I, um, set the glass to opaque, close the door, and let them play their game.And serve them.Usually we have an extra attendant on those nights just for them.
Who's the extra attendant?
Generally it's myself, but sometimes it'll be Ventor or one of the other part-timers if there's another special event going on that evening.
Well, if there's nothing else I can get for you, should I just leave you here for a few moments by yourselves?Or will you be departing?I could walk you out.
I'm going to look over my shoulder to where the door is, which is quite literally only a few meters away.I think we can find our own way out.We're just going to continue our investigation where we see fit.
Certainly.If you have any more questions, I'll just be attending to the other patrons.
Right.I'll be preparing for them then.Reeve endures.
All right, so then I'm going to turn to Salgat and everybody else and be like, so where is our investigation taking us now?Because so far we're standing in this man's establishment.
Honestly, I feel that perhaps there's not much more that can be learned here.You said you had an apartment number for Citizen Oroko?
Yes, I do.Do you want to go to her apartment?
She's our next lead.It seems to be a logical next step.
Unless we want to go to the Commissariat's office to follow up on the possible second job that he had.Where was that again?
So Crucible Avenue or Aroko's apartment.How close are we to Aroko's apartment based on?
We're in the same building.
Same building?Okay. Same building's not bad.We could just check that out, see if it even leads anywhere.
This is Crucible Avenue I'm drawing right here.
Then we could possibly head over to Crucible Avenue later.That's up to you guys, though.
That sounds like a plan.Yeah.
I'm having a difficult time reading your map, Sylvanas.
I suppose I can make it bigger, use some simpler shapes.We're doing fine.Do I look like a cartographer to you?Just leave the navigating to Azad and myself, huh?We're doing fine, we're doing fine.
At least he's using different colors now.
Hot pink, not up to your standards.
All right, so she's in 1115-4, so can we head over to 1115-4?Yeah, let's go.
A short stint in the elevator brings the team to floor 15.Now in front of apartment 11-15-4, Clarehout notes that the hallway is entirely unremarkable and mundane.
Okay, I'll take this one.Here's how a professional agent does things.
A stern older woman in her late 40s with twisted, graying hair opens the door just enough to show her peeking face, but seems reluctant to open it further.
Riven D'ors.How can I be of assistance, citizens?
Are you Marinius Oroko?Yes.Okay.Can I speak with you, ma'am?You already are.
We are with the DCO and we are here on behalf of the Betterment of Atreus to find a missing citizen.
A missing citizen?How concerning.Who is this person?I'm going to nudge somebody next to me because I don't want to talk.
We're looking for citizen Hadrian Baker, ma'am.I believe he's a player in your card games.
Huh.There is no Hadrian in our group.I'm sure of it because I know everyone in my group. But now that you mention him, a Hadrian did visit us a few times.Such a strange citizen.
So he was not a regular player?He just dropped in from time to time?
That's correct.I study her body language to see if she's lying.Rolling for insight.And I roll a nine.
Observing the reticent woman, Agent Sogut can tell that she's reserved and calm, betraying little in her body language or expression.
I'm gonna hold up my data pad with the picture of Hadrian on it and be like, this is the man that we're looking for.Yes, yes.
He was quiet, distant.That's why it took me so long to remember his name.He seemed, I don't know, more interested in making his sister or girlfriend or whatever believe he was more of a regular in our game than actually becoming one.
What do you mean by that?No, you go ahead.
Just wondering, did he ever attend the games without his sister?
Once, or twice beforehand.He didn't seem genuine in his actions, or the few words I exchanged with him.I thought he might be a spy, perhaps, or something.
So he may have attended only three or four times that you've known him?
At most.Probably closer to three.Sure.Uh...
At the times when he attended, was he playing Architect Spectrum or merely watching?
Oh, you know the game.Yes, he did play Architectural Spectrum.He spent quite some time alone when he was here trying to learn the game, and he spent more time alone with his niece, or whatever, trying to teach her how to play.
But we haven't really seen him since.At least, I haven't.
Did anyone else in the group seem to take an interest in him?
Not really, no.He was a rather reclusive, seemingly dull individual who didn't speak much.
Can I ask when he first joined your group?
It was over a year ago.Well, or at least six months ago.
Do you, does anybody else that you know of in the game, have they spoken with him more than you?Does he sit next to somebody?Who else is in the circle that might know of Hadrian or know of his whereabouts?
Officer.Enforcer.My mistake.Hadrian hasn't attended our meetings in months.He was never a full member.He only came in the few times that I've mentioned.That was it.He didn't have any meaningful conversations with anyone in our group.
And I was the one who interacted with him the most because he was such a new member.
And you're saying he didn't actually seem incredibly interested in the game?
No, not really.He seemed like he was being forced to learn a game he had no interest in.Again, like I said, perhaps to impress his lady friend.
Do I have a picture of Hadrian's sister?
Azad fails to locate a picture of Junia Baker.
Do you know of any other groups that play Architectural Spectrum in the area?Is it possible that he joined another group?
We're the only group that I'm aware of.Really?You're the only group in Atreus?Architectural Spectrum is a game that requires patience, skill, and strategy.Few have the time and talent necessary to invest to truly appreciate it.
That's why I started the bi-weekly group.
Let me ask you, and this may seem like a strange question, but as a regular player of the game, does it have any other use?Can you use it to communicate with other people who are familiar with the rules, or is it a pretty straightforward game?
The game is far from straightforward, but it is certainly not anything sinister or subversive.It is a complex game.It's a fun game. It teaches valuable resource management and life organizational skills.
And as I said before, it requires patience, skill and strategy.It expands your intellect in a manner of speaking.
Thank you for humoring me.
Certainly. And I appreciate how polite you've been, not to mention charming.My wife would love you.
Um, is there a larger history to the game?I think I remember hearing that it has a deeper meaning or political themes.I know of it, but it's really not my kind of game.
I've looked into it slightly, and Architectural Spectrum just appears to be a card game created by architects.It's a resource scarcity allocation sort of game. Yeah, that's really it.
One more question.Do you ever take bets on the game?
What would we bet for?I honestly do not know.
I'm not offended.It was a harmless question.Thank you for your assistance.Well then, Reeve endures.Reeve endures.
May the Archon bless your progress.
And you as well, thank you.
What?What?What?To say bless?I don't know what the fringe that means.
Well, maybe she just used the wrong word.Let's keep moving.
The next closest destination would be Crucible Avenue, or perhaps Hadrian's apartment in Tower 18.
While we're still in the hallway, let me just say to him that it sure sounds to me like he's just looking for an alibi, and the game is not important, so I'm wondering what else he was up to that he needed to be somewhere at a specific time.Hmm.
While we're still standing here, I also did happen to notice when I was looking up his background that he does have a second job, like Colliver suspected.It lists it as underground sanitation, for whatever that's worth to you.
Excellent work, Clarehout.
Perhaps visiting his dwelling will allow us to piece together some of these loose strands of evidence we've found.
I agree.We should check out his working and living space.Check out the Department of Engineering later.How far away are we from where he lives?
It's fairly close.On our map, it's the next little green X over.Follow me.
The team departs from Tower 11 with their next destination in mind.
Liberty Vigilance is created and produced by Travis Vengroff, with editing and writing assistance from K.A.Statz, starring Peter Lewis, Sean Francis, Caitlin Buckley, and Caitlin Statz, with narration by Wayne June.
Guest voices include Dave Fennoy, Mike Hayata, Travis Vengroff, Abby Kindler, Sarah Golding, Zoe von Embler, Professor Shy Guy, Jeannie Corcoran, and George Lowe. The music was created by Ryan McQuinn, Stephen Mullin, and Brandon Strader.
Vigilance was mixed and mastered by Brandon Strader with cover art by Dan Stanek.The original game master was Travis Dengraff with assistance by KaStats.
If you've enjoyed listening to this episode, please consider supporting us on Patreon or by liking and reviewing our show on iTunes.This broadcast is a product of Fool and Scholar Productions.
Thank you for listening, and may the Archon watch over you.
If I play you something, will you promise not to tell anyone about it?
There's a thing in the sky.You've got to get someone down here quick.It's fast.It's moving.It's buzzing your ears.It's getting closer, I think.I need to talk to someone.Sing it.What are you through now?Don't, don't, Poppy.It's getting louder.
I can feel it.I can feel it inside my head.
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