The Ministry of Preservation is one of the most vital pieces of the Imperium, and the one that most people interact with throughout their lives. It should be a noble mission to carry on the life-saving works of the Emperor, but the Ministry will often use it's position as a launchpad for more power. And while the executives and chiefs play a great game amongst themselves, it is often employees like the Line Bulls that find themselves sacrificed pawns. Andrel struggles with Ji'mani. Pippin keeps his cool. Drix is saved by an unlikely ally. Genevieve's secret is exposed.

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For the full transcript, go to https://ghosts-on-a-train.captivate.fm/episode/ep-28-genevieve-aside-feat-jolene-cotnoir

Ghost Lines by John Harper. Music by Sebastian Black. Art by Yoshiko Agresta.

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TRANSCRIPT:

Drix 0:00

It's been on hell of a week. I sure could use a previously on to catch up on Ghosts on the Train.

Emelina Gemeli 0:07

I overheard that apparently in Southpoint, a Bull was hollowed for daring to touch a royal during a job.

Greg 0:16

Shadow crosses it suddenly.

Jolene 0:19

The Harlequin flips through the sky, carving a dark silhouette against the darker night.

Bull 0:24

Well, I guess that reporter lady wasn't lying!

Genevieve 0:27

I am the only one says the Harlequin will allow to photograph her.

Stev 0:31

There is a high ranking member of the Ministry of Preservation who may be possessed.

Georgie 0:37

Several members of the Ministry of Preservation are going to be, going to be taking the train. Taking the Pride of Duskwall.

Candace 0:43

Genevieve Paquet. She gave one of my trains a scathing review.

Greg 0:49

Laudius Dalmore the Second goes to the parlor car.

Drix 0:53

And you're not gonna believe what's coming up next.

Greg 0:58

The Ministry of Preservation is the governmental body that oversees all transportation between cities, as well as the disbursement of food and other vital resources. All action necessary to maintain life falls under the purview of the Ministry, and it is no exaggeration to say that they hold the lives of thousands in hand. Despite its purpose being to serve, the Ministry often punishes those that upset it cruelly, though its cruelty is insidious enough to avoid outright critique. The Ministry of Preservation has also historically been covetous, even once plotting to wrench the Leviathan Hunter fleets from Iruvia's hands. However, their unkindness to others does not compare to the abuse heaped upon those who work for them. No oath is made to protect the sailor or Line Bull, for such workers are mere brine, their purpose to help pickle and preserve for other's convenience.

Greg 2:08

Hello, welcome back to Ghosts on a Train! This is a podcast where we play Ghost Lines, an RPG by John Harper. I'm Greg, your conductor who is currently running the game, driving the train.

Hannah 2:21

Oh, hello! I And - fuck. I'm, I'm Hannah. I'm gonna take that again.

Greg 2:29

Sounds like you, like, just woke up.

Hannah 2:31

Yeah. I'm Hannah. I play Andrel Anderson, suspicious child. Suspicious of other people, not her, not suspicious herself. I don't know.

Guy 2:42

But it could be both.

Hannah 2:43

I guess.

Guy 2:45

She did used to be, like, apparently a leader of, like, a child gang.

Hannah 2:50

Not really. She just had friends in an orphanage and did minor crime sometimes for survival reasons.

Guy 2:58

As one does. I'm Guy, I play Pip. Pip is like a golden retriever. He is big, friendly, and dumb as a box of rocks. But mostly because he's very inebriated. He can also pierce the veil. Apparently.

Stefen 3:17

I'm Stefen. I play Drix, and he's currently trusting, busting, and now secret wrestling.

Jolene 3:27

And I'm Jolene and I'm the guest. I'm playing Genevieve and I am inscrutable.

Greg 3:32

She's a reporter. And also -

Jolene 3:34

I'm a reporter.

Greg 3:35

In game. Out of game she's the host of Wrong Bone Facts. A cool podcast you should listen to.

Jolene 3:42

Yeah, it's, I guarantee you can listen to most of it, like, in, in, like, two hours.

Greg 3:48

You got the time. You got the time.

Jolene 3:50

The whole, the whole, the whole 140 episodes, as of this. By the time this episode comes out, it'll be something like 170, I don't even know. That's a ballpark estimate. You'll have the time.

Greg 4:01

I can't wait for one year of bone facts.

Hannah 4:03

Yay!

Jolene 4:04

Oh my god.

Greg 4:05

I mean, it's gonna be a while. Maybe with half a year of bone facts. But right now, this is Ghosts on a Train. Ghost Lines. Okay, so, last time in the parlor car. There are several different members of the Ministry of Preservation, the Imperial body that directly controls the - well, not directly controls, but is in charge of the Imperial Railways, among other things, such as Leviathan Hunter fleets, plasm distillation. They, the Ministry of Preservation is in charge of preserving humanity. And currently, Genevieve Paquet, our reporter, is in the office car with Candace as the Line Bulls received a missive that there are supernatural happenings in the parlor car. Our Line Bulls suited up, but specifically Drix, not wishing to cross paths with Laudius Dalmore the Second, whom he dueled, is hanging behind, I believe to talk to Miss Paquet. Before we get started, though, which roles did you guys suit up for?

Hannah 5:01

I'll take spider.

Greg 5:02

Okay, you'll take spider. Also suited up is Ji'mani, your dorg.

Hannah and Guy 5:09

Yay!

Jolene 5:10

Oh my god!

Stefen 5:11

Precious.

Greg 5:11

Ji'mani. Ji'mani is, we're taking cues from Blades in the Dark, the hunting pet thing, where Ji'mani will be considered potent against ghosts, just like lightning or whatever. So if, if Hannah wants Andrel to do harm through Ji'mani, that's possible. Just in general though, he can more likely to interact with them. He's got a little doggy gas mask. And what was your, he, I believes he can sniff out ghosts just by default, what was your one - ?

Hannah 5:16

I think I gave him swift.

Greg 5:38

Yes. And Hannah picked swift, because Ji'mani is kind of, like, a larger dorg. At least large enough for a 13-year-old girl who's even a little tall for her age to ride. So she will be considered swift so long as she has Ji'mani, which in our game we've treated in the past as plus one on initiative and also nebulously, like, she could probably move, like, two train cars in one. Yeah, I think we had Jamu'kha could move to train cars in, like, one little action thing. Next! Who, what did you suit up as, Pip?

Guy 6:11

I think it makes sense for Pip to be the anchor.

Greg 6:15

Cool, cool. Drix?

Stefen 6:16

Drix was going to suit up as the rook.

Greg 6:18

Drix suited up as the rook. Not only that, Drix has that fancy new piece of equipment. A big chunky belt with, like, a power pack. Within the power pack is the chunk of Voldranai that is being siphoned. We'll see what it does when you activate it. But, you know, but.

Stefen 6:36

Yeah.

Greg 6:36

In the parlor car, Andrel, Pip, and suited up Ji'mani show up. There is a spirit shouting out the parlor car -

Hannah 6:44

- what the fuck are -

Greg 6:45

- for Crowl.

Hannah 6:46

What the fuck are these people talking about, only two Line Bulls? Ji'mani is right there.

Greg 6:50

Ji'mani! Yeah, Ji'mani, Andrel, is actually not right there.

Hannah 6:54

Oh.

Greg 6:55

Suddenly you hear -

Hannah 6:55

Where's my dorg?

Greg 6:56

You hear -

Ji'mani 6:57

Yorp! Yorp yorp yorp yorp yorp yorp yorp!

Greg 6:59

As he's yorping at the, the woman holding the kid. And she's like -

Executive Officer for Kethryss 7:04

Excuse me? Excuse me, please. My child's very small. Control your dorg.

Andrel 7:06

Hey, hey Ji'mani. Okay, okay, Ji'mani, come here. Come back, buddy.

Ji'mani 7:11

Yorp! Yorp yorp yorp yorp yorp!

Andrel 7:12

Okay, yeah, I get it.

Greg 7:13

You're gonna have to roll something.

Hannah 7:17

Um, um, hmm.

Guy 7:18

After a whole episode of not rolling.

Hannah 7:21

It's, it's not really gonna help the situation, but I have a guess at what's happening and I would like to roll insight to confirm it.

Pip 7:27

Sure.

Hannah 7:27

Okay. Um, I failed that but I get the one question. Well, what's really going on here?

Greg 7:37

Ji'mani is a ghost hunting dog. Ji'mani smells ghost.

Hannah 7:40

Yeah, figured, okay.

Greg 7:42

As, yeah, you fail to control Ji'mani, but you understand what's going on.

Executive Officer for Kethryss 7:46

Stop, stop that, please!

Greg 7:48

The frog knight picks up Ji'mani.

Hannah 7:50

The frog knight? Oh, the frog knight.

Greg 7:51

The frog knight, the knight with the frog, with the frog helmet who seems to be some sort of security officer, lifts up Ji'mani, tosses him your way. You can probably catch him.

Hannah 8:01

Okay.

Greg 8:02

And then he says -

Hannah 8:03

Wow, hate that guy.

Greg 8:04

He turns to you when he says -

Frog Knight 8:05

Young one! Know this, Dunvil. Bulls should be hollowed for less. Control your animal.

Hannah 8:17

Uh, fuck. I - that - the audacity.

Jolene 8:24

The frogacity.

Hannah 8:24

The audacity.

Andrel 8:27

Yeah, you can give that a go if you want. I'll kick your stupid knighted butt.

Pip 8:33

Apologies, sir. This is a professional ghost hunting dorg, sanctioned by the Imperial Railways.

Frog Knight 8:41

Evidently not so professional.

Andrel 8:43

Well, hey -

Frog Knight 8:45

And you, Dunvil. That's two strikes. Mouth off again, or fail to control your dorg, you'll find out the emptiness that awaits you at the third.

Greg 8:54

And the Chief of Operations, in his flannel trousers and the maroon button-up, says -

Chief of Operations 9:03

Yes, well. Yeah, yes, quite exciting. Oh, yes, young Bulls! Could you please handle that? Going on?

Andrel 9:11

Yeah, let's do that. Come on, Pip.

Greg 9:13

You deploy. Laudius looks to you, Andrel, and he just sort of, like, shakes his head.

Hannah 9:18

Andrel flips him off.

Greg 9:21

He, like, puts his hand on his head. Like, he puts his head in his hands, rather. So you deploy to the top! As you do that, bam, Drix, what are you doing? Back in the crew car? As they've left for the parlor car?

Drix 9:34

Step one is I'm gonna listen outside the door to the office car for a second, see if I can pick up on anything.

Greg 9:41

Genevieve, what was...after your conversation with Candace, is there any place you wanted to head, or?

Greta 9:48

I think, I think I'm gonna just head straight back out, because I think, I think I want to see the Bulls again. Did any sort of alarm or anything go off, or any sort of...?

Greg 9:56

Not an alarm, but you probably show up and see, like, a message arrive. And then also Drix suiting up, probably.

Greta 10:03

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, so I come through with that, then. I'm kind of done with my conversation.

Genevieve 10:07

Oh, well, where are the other Bulls? What's going on?

Drix 10:11

They are dealing with a bit of an emergency right now, and I was actually headed out to join them.

Genevieve 10:17

Oh, do you mind if I accompany? I could use some good shots. I like the action photography. Will everything be okay?

Drix 10:25

Yeah - everything should, everything should be fine. I will be able to protect you. Just be absolutely careful. I'm - here, we have a spare encounter suit, I'll put you in it.

Genevieve 10:38

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, I do not, I do not wear the suits. They are a little too clunky for me.

Drix 10:44

Well, you do need a gas mask in order to leave the train.

Genevieve 10:49

Oh, I have some equipment that will allow me to take some pictures. Actually, hang on. I have a little - would you mind wearing this? It's a little tiny camera on a little, you could come up with it alongside your badge. If you see any good action, you could take some pictures. It's nothing suspicious.

Guy 11:05

I feel like Andrel has the feeling of someone walking over her grave right about now.

Jolene 11:10

It's, like, a little, it's, like, a little spy camera kind of thing. It's got, like, a little, a little wire that runs down like the length of your arms and kind of, like -

Drix 11:16

Yeah, sure I can. I can put that on.

Greta 11:20

Have you ever taken photography before?

Drix 11:22

Um, I dabble.

Genevieve 11:25

Wonderful.

Hannah 11:27

That's a blatant lie, isn't it?

Stefen 11:29

Oh, yeah, it is.

Genevieve 11:31

I have a good feeling about you. I should be okay. I, what I was planning on doing was finding one of the, one of the more private booths and, and kind of hiding up in there and, and setting up some of my photography equipment. Oh, um, did they say how severe is this, this thing is?

Drix 11:49

It seems to be fairly minor from what I can tell, but you know, everything could change once we get out there. So I do implore you to just stand back, get your action shots from a distance and let us do what we do.

Greta 12:03

Okay, um, well, since there's something I need to kind of tell you. Do you have a moment to discuss? It's very important. Before you go out you want to know this.

Drix 12:13

A moment might be a bit much, but we can try?

Genevieve 12:16

Please, please, please, please.

Drix 12:18

Let's, let's walk and talk on the way out, actually.

Greta 12:21

Oh, no. I prefer to keep this under wraps. Please understand. You see, I am, when I travel the rails, I am, I'm not alone.

Drix 12:32

I'm sorry, what?

Genevieve 12:34

A few years back, I picked up some kind of supernatural demon? I can't really quite explain it. She, she calls herself the Harlequin.

Drix 12:47

So you...you carry