Crystal Heart

Two Players and Up is a short podcast in which Eran and Aviv provide some insights into the making of the strip, recommend various geeky stuff, and consume Zero Matter like candy, nomnonnom.
The intro and outro are taken from “Vivacity” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

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Longest episode title ever, right?

0:45 The Thanking Conundrum
We won’t be singing. Not because we can’t , but because we choose not too. We choose!!

2:15 Last Week’s Strips
Experience Points
Parental Guidance

4:45 Eran Regrets Cancellations
Go watch Limitless if you haven’t already. Heart-warming, clever and joyful.
Agent Carter is pretty good, actually!

8:00 We Watched X-Men Apocalypse
Fun movie. First half was great – second half was somewhat lukewarm and lacking in emotional connection.

13:40 Warhammer RPG Uses Careers…
Edge of the Empire uses them too, sort of.

18:00 …and that’s Useful for Character Development
Betrayal!! Aviv really hates an NPC.
The weekly question, what is it and how to use it.

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Dassi asked the party: Describe a new, small feature of your character. A thought, a behaviour, a decision, a new piece of clothing or a speech pattern that symbolizes your transition from the previous career to the new one. Something in you changed – what was it? (translated from here)

Marion always felt a bit embarrassed by the way non-wizards address her – such respect, so much awe – simply because she’s a wizard (actually, an apprentice, but most people don’t recognize the difference). She never actually felt she deserved this – sure, she works hard, but not any harder than Agnes works at her chosen profession, so why should she get more respect? It should also be noted that her magical powers brought about the death of her parents, and she herself owes her life to the Chaos lord Nurgle, so even though she gained power and glory through her magical abilities – and even though she’s somewhat dependant on them – she also hates them a little.

In the previous session, Marion decided for the first time that it’s sometimes okay to utilize the awe the common people feel toward wizards, when she took the journal and the knife from Brenner’s room, and than claimed, full of self confidence, that she didn’t see anything suspicious. The soldiers didn’t even dare to think about searching her. You don’t search a wizard.

Now, when she arrived to dinner with Herr Markheim, she presented herself as the house wizard of the Von Kaufman family, without even batting an eyelash. It’s not exactly true, but she wants him to address her with respect. Because she suspects he’s a dangerous sorcerer and wants him to fear her. That’s the only reason. Really.

 

Agnes had always known who to trust. Whether it was choosing the right professional associates, those who would support a mutually beneficial arrangement; or old friends, with a long history of exchanging favours for one another; or even guards and enforcers, since she could always trust them to follow the letter of the law – and if not, trust the person that out-ranks them to punish them for transgressing.

During the past few weeks, she realized that except for her two companions, who constantly prove their loyalty to one another and to their common goals, she couldn’t actually trust anyone any more. The law-keepers in this town are corrupted, 3 out of 5 have ulterior motives; important wizards, generals and nobles of all ranks throw slander and suspicion at one another; and the only person Agnes allowed herself to admire was revealed to be a traitorous servant of Chaos, a horrible monstrosity lurking in the deepest recess of–

Anyway.

No one can be trusted any more. Everyone’s a suspect, a possible pawn in the hands of Chaos. Anyone, even the most highly regarded or decorated of “allies”, can be our doom. Check everything, trust no one. And roll Observation and Intuition with all the bonus dice, whenever you meet someone new.

 

Brioche was ready for the long day ahead. It was a bright morning in Middenheim; the birds were chirping, the mead was flowing, the rats were gnawing. And the party members were cleaning themselves and the inn’s common room from the blood and the mess of last night’s fight. They were doing this all night, moving bodies instead of sleeping, but Brioche felt good, ready for the day, readying his weapons and straightening up.

He was ready. And optimistic.

“Optimistic?!” Brioche choked, suddenly realizing the source of all the trouble befalling the party – no, the Empire! – in the last few days.

“My skin doesn’t hurt, my bones are whole, and I’m not bleeding…” Brioche tried to remember, when did he last lash himself? It seemed so long ago.

“I have strayed from the path. Let Sigmar down. No wonder the Empire is so full of Chaos. No wonder the cults of Middenheim do as they please! No wonder the Chaos is upon us!!”

He knew, of course, what must be done. And if it wasn’t done now, it might be too late for him, and for the whole Empire. Chaos spreads, the End Days are coming, we must all work together to stop the spread of treacherous thoughts and deeds.

Brioche ripped down a barbed wire from one of the lower roofs, and wrapped it around his chest and shoulders, forming a large, bloody X across his body, tightening it harder and harder.
“Here,” He whispered to himself, falling on his knees, “Here we draw the line against the Chaos.”