Stop, Thief
Cold open 5 · Marellius, about ten, runs from the harbor watch with a stolen pie, and Rasha Tohan claims him
At a Glance
- Who’s in it
- Marellius, playing his past self. The DM voices Rasha, Munro and the watch. Nonne, Trill and Haxami watch.
- When
- Deepwater Hold, the day the Tohans take him in. He is about ten. This is his first memory; there is nothing before it. A season before Try This.
- Status
- Shape settled 2026-10-12. Boxes not written yet. Working title.
- Runs
- Five to ten minutes
- Boxes
- Four, numbered below
- Rolls
- The opening run, two route checks of the player’s choosing, and Deception (the reach)
- Reveals
- Tohan began as a lie Rasha told the harbor watch, and it became true.
Behind the screen
His name. “Marellius” is a reference to his name before his transformation (Jack, 2026-10-12). He does not know what it refers to. He only knows it is his name.
No fire. One More Thing is where the fire is found. Heat and steam off him are fine here; flame is not.
The opening
The opening line
You’re running.
Right away, to Marellius: DC 12 Acrobatics or Athletics, player’s choice — how well he runs. Then read box 1.
Read-aloud 1 — the market
Not written yet.
What happens
Beat one — the chase
He has a hot pie he stole and the harbor watch behind him. He does not know who he is. Offer the routes and let the player pick two; each is one check.
- Over the fish-market stalls — Acrobatics.
- Under the cargo crane as it swings a load — Athletics.
- Into a stack of empty casks to hide — Stealth.
A failed route check loses ground, and a piece of the pie. Read box 2 at the second route.
Read-aloud 2 — the crane yard
Not written yet.
Beat two — the quay
The watch corners him on a quay. A boat is tied up and a woman is counting crates. Read box 3.
Read-aloud 3 — “He’s mine”
Not written yet.
Rasha Tohan is a community leader who cares for everyone around her, and she sees a hungry child. She tells the watch he is hers and he is with her. It is a lie. Marellius has to play along on the spot: roll Deception. Munro steps off the boat and pays for the pie without asking a question.
Beat three — the close
The watch has gone. Rasha asks his name. He gives it: Marellius. Then she feeds him. Read box 4 and stop.
Read-aloud 4 — his name
Not written yet.
What’s rolled
Four, on the sheet in front of him. No roll decides whether he is caught or whether Rasha claims him. He is, and she does.
| Who & what | DC | Success carries | Failure carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marellius — Acrobatics or Athletics the opening line |
DC 12 | He is quick and the watch is a street behind him. If it carries: a Dream Inspiration die. | He is slow off the mark and they are close from the start. If it carries: 1d4 damage on waking, and a mark that never goes away. Which mark is still open. |
| Marellius — route check (Acrobatics, Athletics or Stealth) beat one, two of them |
DC 12 | He gains ground and keeps the pie. | He loses ground and a piece of the pie. |
| Marellius — Deception the reach, beat two |
DC 14 | A capability: he finds out, at ten, that he is a natural liar, and the watch walks away believing him. | The sergeant doubts him and Rasha has to push harder. The claim still holds. |
What it reveals
How the Tohans found him. Running from the harbor watch with a stolen pie, and Rasha claimed him to save him.
Where Tohan came from. A lie told to the watch, which became true.
Still open
Decide before you run it — none of these are invented here
The four boxes. Jack writes them.
The pie as a running stake. Suggested, not confirmed: if he still has any of it on the quay, Rasha notices.
The failure mark on the opening check, and who he stole the pie from.
His transformation. What it was. DM only.
New facts this page adds. He was about ten. The Tohans found him when Rasha claimed him to the harbor watch. Both are Fluid until played.