The Adventure Zone: Steeplechase – Episode 1

Synopsis
Full transcript available here.

''The employees of Poppy’s Place take on their first, unexpected heist. Montrose dabbles in PR, Beef causes some chaos, Emerich reconnects with an old friend.''

After crashing through Ustaben’s ceiling, Gravel introduces herself to the employees of Poppy’s Place. She explains that she is here to steal the commemorative “150 Years of Dreaming” enamel pin, which is to be unveiled at Prize Pantry that afternoon. Her old crew (whom she has been recently separated from) is also trying to steal the pin, so she offers to pay the Ustaben crew if they can get it back to her first. Upon negotiating for a higher payment, they agree.

At Prize Pantry the group encounters Eustace, who greets Emerich warmly and brings him to the storage area in the back. Meanwhile, Montrose and Beef enter the main room. Montrose tries talking to a guard, who refuses to engage with him. Beef flags down an attendant, Dan, and asks if the Pantry carries any of his own brand of cereal (Beef Berry Crunch). Dan reluctantly agrees to check in the back, getting the other two workers there to look as well. Emerich takes this time to disable the alarm panel. He succeeds, but not without drawing the workers’ attention.

Montrose continues talking to the guard (named Kevin), introducing himself as Dominic Goodparty of Goodparty Event Planning. (At this point Griffin clarifies that Montrose has not been wearing his mask since they arrived.) He shows Kevin a set of climbing gear and claims he found it in the alley as evidence of a potential breakin. Kevin goes to look outside, leaving the stage and the crowd around it unattended.

Beef makes his way to the Prize Zone, where cereal is recycled through large pneumatic tubes and exchanged for prizes. He surveys the room to make sure the coast is clear, then asks Montrose if he should create a distraction. Montrose has Beef hold off, wanting to try one more tactic. He finds a group of vloggers and again introduces himself as Dominic, this time claiming to be an independent PR representative under contract from Dentonic. He tells them he has an exclusive photo opportunity with the pin and leads them up to the stage. Once there, he signals Beef to start the distraction. Beef pushes one of the cereal collection tubes loose, creating a very chaotic scene as the suction effect is applied throughout the room.

Back in the storage area, the workers have left to check out the commotion, leaving Emerich alone. He summons Eustace and instructs him to take a carton of boxes out to the stage. Security sufficiently distracted, Montrose runs towards the podium where the pin is being held, covered with a cloth. He scatters a great number of pins from his own clothes in an attempt to cause further confusion. He then bumps a vlogger into the podium but loses balance, causing them both to fall over. He pulls the cloth away, revealing a hole where the podium stood. He looks inside and sees Matchstick, one of Gravel’s old crew, pin in hand and shushing Montrose.

Featured NPCs

 * Gravel
 * Eustace Chabon
 * Matchstick

Featured Locations

 * Ustaben
 * Poppy's Place
 * Prize Pantry

Featured Music

 * “Something’s Not Right Here” by Kirk Osamayo
 * “Voyageur” by Monkey Warhol
 * “Motorcycle Scene” by Pablo Perez