#stoppers

Lyra (playing Hesty): Woah.

DM: Anyone who grew up in Breya - that's all of you except Winnifred - has a device which I have yet to name, basically a crystal which lets them access this magical web.

Andy (playing Diardi): Yass! Can we order Ubereats?

DM: It's very basic - you can't google things. Their main function is essentially the same as a Sending Stone, but you can call anyone whose device you've connected yours to.

Hamish (playing Hunter): Awesome.

Lyra: You really liked the Sending Stone group chat TTC set up, didn't you?

DM: I set it up because I hated not being able to contact anyone! Worlds with no technology are super inconvenient. Anyway, you can choose to already have one if you grew up here. How long have you been in Breya, Winnifred?

Marijn (playing Winnifred): Probably only a couple of weeks. I ran into the party pretty quickly. I don't think I'd have one.

Andy: I don't have one either. I've lived in Breya for a while, but I don't want people to be able to contact me.

DM: Fair enough. I'll say they're 20 gold. Even most peasants can save up to get one.

Hamish: I have two. For obvious reasons.

Lyra: Can I suggest their name be Stoppers? Their original name was Contact Crystals, but most people hated that so it got shortened to CCs. That got colloquialized to Ceases, which then changed to Stoppers. 'Stopper me when you get home!'

Potion Ingredients

DM: The maid pauses.

Andy: "Can you try now?"

DM: She takes out her Stopper and tentatively says, "Miss Shame?" into it. You hear her voice, slightly distorted, repeat from behind the sofa.

Lyra (playing Hesty): So she left her Stopper behind. That figures. Can we check it and see who she last called?

DM: It's not a smartphone, it doesn't have a call history.

Lyra: What about stored numbers?

DM: It's a glorified Sending Stone! You just think about who you want to call and do it!

Lyra: Pah.

DM: I wanted to give you cellphones but not have them be game-breaking. Just accept these high-level magic items you're getting for free!

Andy (playing Diardi): I just want Grindr.

Hamish (playing Hunter): I wanted to play Flappy Bird.

Hamish (playing Hunter): Yeah, okay. Let someone else deal with it.

Marijn: *sighs* I feel like this is becoming Winnifred's thing.

DM: The temple of the Raven Queen in Theriya is smallish but well-maintained. It's very classic: ravens everywhere, gothic architecture. A veiled priest greets you.

Marijn: I say, "Hi, have you heard about the dead people returning to life in the farms outside the city?"

DM: They incline their head. "Indeed. It is a matter of great interest to us. We are investigating whether it is true resurrection, or a blasphemy."

Marijn: "Right. Well, we're investigating too. Totally my idea."

Hamish: *snorts*

Marijn: *ignores* "Maybe we can help you out."

DM: "We would not say no to an offer of assistance."

Marijn: "Okay. Well, should we boop Stoppers?"

Hamish: Is that canonically the slang? Because it's the sound they make when they connect?

DM: The Stoppers don't make a noise. But people say 'boop' when they do it, so that's why it's the slang. The priest boops Stoppers with Hunter since Winnifred doesn't have one.

Marijn: "Thanks for your time. We'll let you know if we find anything."

DM: They say blandly, "May your life be enjoyable before your timely death."

Marijn: *makes face* ".......And yours."