I'm Alan Sisto, the man of the West here at The Prancing Pony Podcast. And I'm Sean Marchese, the real-life Lord of the Mark. Every week here at The Prancing Pony Podcast, along with Sean or other co-hosts, I explore the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, bringing along lots of...
of pop culture references, plenty of nerd humor, and the occasional bad pun. It's just a couple of friends hanging out at the pub talking about our favorite books. We cover just a few pages every episode, reading important sections of the books and having a chat about what we've read. Now, we do a ton of research.
for each episode so that we can bring as much background information to our conversation as possible. We do all the heavy reading, so you don't have to. It's a great way for first-time readers to learn the basics of Tolkien's world. Well, for Middle-earth veterans, it's a deep dive into their favorite stories. And become a part of a vibrant... and active community of listeners, then look for The Prancing Pony Podcast wherever you listen.
Here is episode four of the Mask of the Red Death crossover that we are doing with a bunch of Fable and Folly shows. To see where all of those shows are and where all the episodes live, you can check the show notes. Enjoy. Previously on our Mask of the Red Death one-shot... You four have been invited to the secluded manor of Prince Prospero on the winter solstice for a grand Yule masquerade. I want to know what these words mean.
Like, the red death isn't just a sickness, it's a frame of mind. You said there was a mirror also on the altar, correct, when I looked at it? Yes, you did, yeah. Go ahead and look at the mirror and tell me what you would like to roll with. In the mirror. With those scratches and the red paint, it looks like you have a red hat with a white fur trim on top. And then on the bottom...
Your, your, your, uh, your coat that you were wearing has now become red with a white collar. Stay your fears, good friends. The Crimson Plague, I told you, cannot breach these walls. My manor is a sanctuary and you are under my protection. He's nervous about whatever's beyond that door. I suspect whatever afflicted her is coming from there. Shall we take a moment to speak to the man himself or inspect that door?
I say we inspect the door. You see her eyes set with a determination that is normally not there. And she says, shadows be damned. All right, let's jump over to where our other two, where William and Lenore are currently investigating. So you go across the hall, like tiptoeing. But in all the fracas, if you want to try and sneak, it's going to be a low check because of all the work that your other two compatriots are doing. All eyes are really on them. Or you could just stride.
confidently across completely up to you but i'm asking you basically do you want to sneak well i'm not even supposed to be here i don't think anymore i think i'm basically gate crashing so yeah probably i should be a little bit sneaky yeah let's sneak Go for it. Roll to sneak. 22. Oh, come on. I'm a rogue. I'm sneaky. You guys didn't even notice I stole a Shakespeare folio from that library. I'm so sneaky.
Oh my god, you know, my dress is probably made of the noisiest silk, like, ever. Like a tracksuit, it's like... Yeah, it just, yeah, it doesn't shut up. What did Lenore roll for sneaking? That would be an 11. For stealth. It's a low check. If you guys beat a 9, I'm happy with that.
You start to like go across and like you're hearing like the heavy material of your gown swishing and you look panicked around and you're Raven. By the way, do you want to give your Raven a name? It's just Raven, isn't it? It's Raven. That's so Raven. You feel Raven's talons kind of grip a little bit more tightly on your shoulder. Be quiet, you're going to find us.
By this time, you look and William is in. William is not even there. William is just a ghost of a presence. But nobody seems to look your way still. And so you make your way across to this door. This unlocked door. Can I just ask, can other people hear Raven? What do you think? I'm going to say no. And if they can barely see him as well, then she could probably look a bit insane talking to herself.
The whole time. I like how, though, none of you have even, like, commented on that. You're like, yeah, sure. All right. The two of you recognize this as servants' quarters. They're cramped and they're cold, with plain cots pushed against the walls and thick woolen blankets folded neatly at their ends. I invite both of you to roll perception. Seven. Four.
It is time for new dice. I'm sorry. This is just... Put away. Just try this one. You're being very, very naughty tonight. You're on the naughty list. Here's what the two of you were able to see. a single lantern in there casts a feeble glow revealing cluttered shelves and you see more of those empty vials with wax seals that you had seen across the way but in addition to that you see
scraps of paper with small bits and lines of this red powder. I would say Lenore, in addition to that, because Lenore, would you roll again for your perception? Please. Oh, 11. Yeah, okay. Lenore, you see, too, that there are faint etchings on the wall in those same strange symbols that you had seen on the altar.
The air to the both of you smells of sweats and something acrid biting the back of your throat. You see, this is a place of hard work and hidden fears where secrets fester under a veil of obedience. Go ahead, both of you. What would you like to roll to check out those symbols? Can I use my... Well, that's for finding secret things. I've already found those. I'll just use investigation if that's okay. I would like to roll wisdom. Go for it.
24 for me. 15 for me. William, you're able to decipher all of this. And I would say, Lenore, you're able to decipher half of it. So, William, here's what you are able to decipher that Lenore is not. It's in a language that you had studied before on a lark because you were bored one day. An old arcane language that had come from the Outer Plains.
And it translates to, you better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. And then it stops as if interrupted mid-sentence. Now, here's what the both of you also notice. You see another one of those loose bells on one of the shelves behind one of the empty vials. And then you see in common a couple more notes scratched on the wall next to one of the servants' cots.
You see first, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. And then next to that, almost as an answer, But in spite of these things, it will be a gay and magnificent revel. His plans are bold and icy, and his conceptions glow with barbaric luster. Can I look at one of those vials? Does it seem like the red powder?
Like, that's what I want to, I guess, see what has been in it. Was it used to hold that or? Yeah, you see them in different arrays. So one of the vials is completely empty. A second vial has some of that red powder that was in it. A third vial has some kind of a mixing agent that is liquid in form, cold to the touch on the outside of the glass. And the fourth vial is half empty, and it is a full mixture.
Almost like you're looking at one of those, you know, pages of like, try my recipe for my cinnamon rolls and I'm going to tell you about my great grandmammy and how she loves me oh so much. And I'm going to give you pictures all along the way of how to make these. So it's like stage one, two, three, and four. I love it. I will pocket those. Okay. Today's episode is supported by Warhammer 40K, The Valentine Heresy.
where an unlikely band of heroes come together to save the galaxy from the ultimate evil. You will join the chronically upbeat Inquisitor Lucius Valentine alongside Hive Scum siblings Lyric and Alto as they set out on their quest to... save mankind but in a grimdark universe where there are of course casualties along the way if you're like me and you enjoy when things are very dark and then very silly and then very deadly and then back to very silly
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see anything else in here except it's weird and gross and I don't like it. Yeah, I'm getting those vibes too. Let's go find our friends. Be useful. Now, at this point, Madeline and Annabelle, you two were already planning on heading towards that one door that Prince Prospero had kind of eyed a bit and making your way over there.
If you want to do this out in the open, go for it. If you want to try and keep to the stealthy side of things, go for that. Or if you want to try something else, but you... Do you kind of get the sense, especially Madeline, when you were looking at Prospero, that he doesn't want people over there? It is in the back corner, past the pedestal that you had seen with this. covered orb that is even cordoned and roped off, but they're on display nonetheless, and behind that in a small corner.
I think we'll try this stealth because why not? It'll obviously make life easier, but you can tell Madeline's heart is not fully in it. But as like the attendance... Is this explaining if she rolls shitty? Maybe. I'm sorry, guys. I wasn't trying. It's more like she's going to the door one way or another. But like as the attendants come and start picking up the lady, we will kind of shuffle into the crowd and then try and use that.
cover to uh to like inch our way up the side while hopefully prospero is attending to uh the panic of the others excellent go ahead and roll stealth 19 Ooh, she was trying. Her heart was in it. She's like, no, that's just me. Fifteen. Yeah, you both make your way, weave through, and... planning out kind of the regular intervals of servants passing by. You find a good gap in awareness and you slip over there to the door. Trying it though,
You hold out and it is a door with a knob. We finally found a door with some kind of knob here. And it does not budge. It is locked. I think we probably at the same time are like, see them where they're going and we're trying to like sneak around. as well like probably the other the other way so hopefully roll stealth yeah go for it is there a way we can like cause a distraction to help them get through the door tell me more
Okay, well, I've just decided that Raven cannot be seen, which is probably... Which is really helping here. Let me see. Hold on, because I can do... Some fun things. Misty visions, casting illusions to distract or mislead foes. Could that be used to distract people? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Narrate it to me.
I'm not going to make you, because you don't have to roll for that. Tell me what it looks like and we'll go with it. All right. Okay. So Lenore opens up her hands and from her fingertips, eight. ghostly figures emit and sort of like smoke pools on the ground and then they rise from it and they're sort of glittery
and they keep sort of moving and reforming. And everybody in the crowd seems to see something slightly different in them, like they're all interpreting these shapes as someone they know or some... thing that they recognize. And depending on both the demeanor and then the appearance of... So the demeanor of the guests and the nature and shape of these images that you are casting, you hear both cries of delight and awe as if it is one of the planned bits of revelry.
which Prince Prospero doesn't say anything and acts and nods along as if that was meant to be. And kind of looking around, like, Malvi, was this planned? Was this part of the... Okay. And then still others of shock and fear in what they and their imaginations decide to see. So what this will allow you to do is you tell me what you want. advantage on your stealth roll or do you want a lower number to beat? Advantage. Roll twice. So you'll roll once for William and roll twice.
For Lenore, the DC we're looking at here because of that, though, is still 10. So we have distracted people. Just need to beat a 10. Got 19. Me too. Oh. Look at you guys. Babe. I'm going to stick with this dice. Yeah, that one's better. You make your way over to your compatriot sides and you see that they have made it to this door as well and are in the midst of checking the door.
And you also see that it is locked. Well, I am a rogue, so I do have thieves tools. So I, why didn't you get a key? Oh, I do also have a key. I think. Maybe the room wasn't useless after all. I think because I'm with three beautiful ladies with their very big skirts, as we have established, they can just stand in front of me and I can duck down behind. And I'll try the key. So I guess I'll try the key.
that I found. Yeah, it works. Great. I'm kind of disappointed because I wanted to show off my slot picking skills, but I... You can always pretend it's like, oh no, I guess I'm going to have to pick this one. I did it myself. So I will open, not open the door, unlock the door and then whisper to them. I mean, is it the right key? We're presuming it's the right key. Oh, yeah. That was the right key. Oh, okay. There we go. Boom.
Wow, you picked that lock incredibly quickly. I'm very good at picking locks. Most people aren't, but I'm very good at it. And I guess I've like sneakily stood back up. Shall we duck in? The door is unlocked. I assume these illusions are still happening, right? Perfect. Yeah, let's try and get in there. Yeah. I'll end. Yep. Yeah. Sweep inside with a very inconvenient rustle of all of the silk skirts. You sweep into this room and it is a study.
a study cloaked in shadows illuminated only by the sullen glow of a single guttering candle on a massive mahogany desk the atmosphere is thick and oppressive as though the room itself were holding its breath keeping terrible secrets close. The wild music of the orchestra seems to echo your steps as you enter the room. I invite all of you to roll perception, investigation, religion, or history. They're all exactly the same. You're like, it don't matter. Seven. 17.
What were the options again? Perception. So let's say I'm going to do like a let's let's do this because I've thrown a lot at you guys again. So if you'd like to roll perception, let's roll that first. Is that what you want? That's what I did. It was 17. That's what you did. Yeah. Anybody else want to do Perception? I'll save it for History. Not like the 7 is going to give me much, but... It can get you something. Yeah, yeah. DC5?
All right, here's what William is able to notice with his perception. You see the room is filled with the scent of old parchment and a faint hint of incense just as before, mixed with that something metallic. Now, of course, at first you're like, oh, like rusted iron, but we know better.
You also notice heavy curtains drawn tightly over the windows, shutting out any trace of moonlight while the walls are lined with shelves bearing ancient weathered tomes and odd sinister relics. In the corner, William. you see standing a tall glass cabinet its contents shrouded but glinting faintly potions vials interesting artifacts and it is william locked
There is no key. I wonder if you can open it. I wonder. It's a little test for myself. That's what I'll go try and do. Okay. So while William is trying to open that here in a SIAC. Would anybody like to roll investigation? All right, I got known takers for investigation. How about religion? I'll do religion. Oh, damn it. If you do religion, shall I do investigation? There's multiple things. Don't worry. For everything I ask you, there's multiple possibilities.
So you both can roll religion. I've got fun bags here. Go for it, Annabelle. Go. All right. Also a 17. All right. And then, okay. Here's what you two are. So, Lenore, you see on the desk some notes. And because of what you have seen so far in this manner. You decipher them as ritual notes. And so you see notes planning to use this crystal of celestial frost to harness what is noted as cold magic to purify his guests.
But you also note that this is an experiment he has not fully tested. Perhaps on the servants, but not fully enough. Annabelle. You are able to further tell from this that the notes in here, especially the religious aspect of this, is it's calling on something to halt the Red Death. But you do note also that in this specific...
ritual that it saps the life force of all those nearby, effectively freezing life energy. You even see this interesting note that says the dreams are stiff frozen as they stand. This there. And then, finally, history. You rolled a seven, right? A five. For good old Madeline of the House of Usher. I'm feeling very historical. There is something that you do remember. And it's very faint. It's like you hear it from your childhood. As far back as that is, it's almost like echoes.
But you remember stories around the wintertime of an old god, something to do with giftings, immortality. You remember some of the servants who would... tell these stories would also put up silver bells, holly, mistletoe, and red blood. Does anyone have a cookie? Yeah. Oh, there are canapes. That's right. Okay. In this room, what do we see besides the candle and the book that was found? Like...
As you're kind of looking around, you see behind the desk like this heavy damask curtain that hangs on the wall. If I got that cabinet open, sorry. Yeah, let's roll to see if you got that cabinet open by now. By the way, what are you looking like right now? Are you like red with like a full on beard? Oh yes. Is my physical face changing or is it just in the mirror? You're becoming Tim Allen.
I feel like we need to check on this right now. Yeah, William is looking like William. It's just the mirror that had been tampered with. I say we retcon that. William loves this idea so much that he's like cobbled together some sort of disguise and you see the... Yeah, as we were walking through the ballroom, I was like stealing someone's mink stole to make a beard. I rolled an 18 for the sleight of hand to get that. It unlocks.
And you see kind of in there four things stand out to you. So I'm going to have in order of earlier rolls. Carla, would you roll a d4 for me? That's a one. A potion stands out to you and you pull it out and you see it is a potion of climbing. Okay. I wonder if it'll translate to here. Let's see. No, it's just normal. No hyperlink there. But feel free to... Look that up. Okay. Next highest, I believe, was Annabelle. Annabelle, roll a d4. Also a one.
You pick out something very interesting. I'm going to actually open this on mine and just send you the link. Go ahead and roll history to see if you know what this is. And roll it with advantage. 17. Oh yeah, you've seen this before. Never in person, but definitely on descriptions from old tomes. You note that this is called Dairn's Instant Fortress.
It's a cube, a one-inch metal cube and a small note with a command word that I'm going to let you, Rev, choose what the command word is. Okay. Oh, right now. Yes. If you want to. You know, you can use it later on. There's going to be a command word and that cube is going to turn into something fun. Perfect. Okay. Lenore, roll a d4. Oh, good. Okay. Yeah. Also a one.
All these ones. You see this staff. She's like, ooh, that looks perfectly creepy. Even Raven perched on your shoulders. Yeah, that is pretty. It's so pretty. And it's a staff where the head of it looks like that of an adder or a snake. In my mind, I'm thinking, you know, old school Aladdin, Jafar's staff. Yeah, I was going to say. I was giving it vibes. Does it have ruby eyes? It does. Ooh. And...
Finally, Madeline, roll a d4. Four. The highest one. You see another staff kind of on there. And... Roll Arcana with advantage. Sweet. Oh, natural 20. You've wanted one of these. This, you see, is a staff of warning. It looks like a simple staff, but you know what to look for. In fact, you've been watching. Well, it's been on your list for a while, but you know that this is a staff that warns you of danger and gives you specific perks. If you ever...
Say are an initiative. Sweet. Yeah, you see she grabs the staff and just like her eyes light up like it's, I don't know, Christmas. Just kind of like caresses the staff and like goes just totally like still and silent, like pouring over all the details of it. Now, William, you are now that you've gotten this all open and you are hearing specifically from your your compatriots, like what they are noting, what they found, what they're realizing with their religion and history.
Go ahead and roll investigation. Let's see if you're going to make some two and two together. I'm not. Well, that's an 11. Many of it is still in the dark for you, in the shadows, but some of it is coming to light. you're seeing that this crystal, which must be that pedestaled artifact on the outside of this door, seems to be able to harness this magic to purify sickness, but at a cost.
And you're starting to put together that that cost is going to be paid out to an old god. Now, William, as you start to realize the crystal's true nature, the clocks chime. midnight. But instead of the silver bells to announce the hour that you have heard echoed in the halls as before, a boom knocks at the grand hall entrance, which had been locked after you.
With each stroke of the hour, the pounding at the door seems to answer. Upon the 12th assault, everything falls silent. Clocks and intruder at the door alike. But then you hear it. The sound of hooves pawing and prancing on the roof, skittering to a stop just at the chimney. Hi, I'm Kate, and I am the Dungeon Master here, the adventure that you're listening to. I'm the one that wrote it.
If you like what you're hearing, you should actually check out my show. It's called Of Mice and Men and Monsters, where we combine classic literature like Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and many more with Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition and... of course, a lot of homebrew. So come on down and check O'MamM out. And once again, that is Of Mice and Men and Monsters. Hey, I'm Carla and I am playing William Dupin.
If you like what you're hearing, you should check out my show. It's called Dungeons and Dragons. We're just big dumb idiots that make dick jokes and play D&D, but it's really fun. So if you like that, you should go to dumbdragoncast.com. You can find all the links there, and we would love it if you came and joined us.
Hi, I'm Giancarlo, and I'm playing Madeline Usher. You should check out my show, Dungeons & Drimbus, where a group of actors get together and play tabletop games and try to make each other's lives more difficult. It's a fun time, and if you want to check out our... Our most recent season, Yes Chef, just wrapped up where we did a John Wick meets Hell's Kitchen style adventure, and we typically publish every Friday.
Hey, I'm Rev, and I am playing Annabelle Shore. And if you like what you hear, you should check out our show, The Crit Show, which is an actual play podcast where we play Monster of the Week and other Powered by the Apocalypse games, all within the same dimension-hopping story. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hi, I'm Emily Inkpen, and I'm playing Lenore Ravenshadow. You should check out my show, The Deck's Legacy, a dark political sci-fi adventure set on a far future planet where a weapons manufacturer uses his genetically enhanced adopted children to terrorize them. planet while they find inventive ways to fight him at every turn you can find seasons one and two on all platforms and we'll be releasing season three in 2025.
If you're looking for part five, check out Dungeons and Drimbus. Check the show notes for our complete one-shot lineup. You're going to want to hear them all. The Fable and Folly Network, where fiction producers flourish. Contact Day is in but a few short months, which means it is time to begin preparations for the bi-decennial festival. This year, we are celebrating every single one of you living in my blood. It is you.
and your loyalty that has laid the groundwork for this incredible utopian society that we seek for. Do you have any idea what's going on with us? It is the duty of each and every one of you to do everything you can. to make the festival a success this year. Are you ready to speak kindly with me now, child? I have no doubt that this year will be one for the history books.
And that will be due in no small part to the dedication of my adoring self. Windfall, a dystopian science fiction podcast from Rogue Dialogue.