Episode 34: They Wanted Us to Win

The Winter Lunar Festival continues, but the longer the party stays, the harder it becomes to ignore that something is deeply wrong.As night falls without warning, the music stops and a makeshift arena is revealed at the heart of the celebration. What begins as harmless festival entertainment quickly turns personal when Sefi signs up to fight under a false name, and Todd follows suit with an alias of his own. With betting encouraged, rules vaguely defined, and magic strictly forbidden, the party places their wagers and prepares to watch, or participate in, the spectacle.Inside the arena, Sefi dominates the competition with raw strength and calculated technique, while Todd fights his way through the brackets with speed, precision, and just a little chaos. All the while, familiar faces fill the crowd: parents long thought dead, figures from the past smiling and cheering as if nothing ever went wrong. But not everyone sees the same thing. Todd notices faces that blur, glitch, and briefly reveal something watching from beneath the illusion.As victories pile up and attention turns toward the final rounds, the celebration grows louder, the crowd grows closer, and the deception grows thinner. Whatever this place is, it wants the party fully invested before it makes its next move.The fights are far from over, and neither is the lie.DM: Jeffery JordanMalcius: Travis StewartSefi: Morgan GibsonThormir: Nick MillerTodd: Bryce ShearerPodcast art by Ada HathTheme song "Royal Joust" by Bardcore. Follow them on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple MusicAdditional DM elements by LoresmythJoin our Patreon!Buy our merch on our website!Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.