POP 3: The High Priestess



 "'💀 💀 💀  🍿 🐉' -Sloane Parker"

The High Priestess is the third episode of Eidolon POP and the seventh episode of Eidolon Playtest Season 1. It covers Quentin's Class as they discover how the world has changed and make their way back to The Estate.

Summary
Sloane Parker is lying on the couch in her dorm room watching a movie. The rest of Quentin's Class are in attendance. The lecture hall is packed, and Quentin Brooks stumbles through a lecture until a librarian friend of his he had arranged to show up arrives and delivers a lecture on the Dewey Decimal system. He leaves and Alexis Lorentzen follows.

Quentin tells Alexis that he doesn't really know what his history with The Undertow is, other than that he and his friends went there before. He still wants to take the fight to Michael Clark, and Alexis notes they barely fought off his cockroaches in The Undertow so they should fight him in the real world. An older woman passes by and stops to apologize to Quentin for putting him in the basement classroom. She says he deserves better since he's a published author. She acts like she knows Quentin, but he does not know who she is.

Class lets out, most of the students are confused and irritated by the surprise lecture on library sciences. Ursa texts Sloane to tell her class was full. After Sloane texts back, Sloane notices a laminated sheet of paper on her dresser labeled BUS SCHEDULE. It says the next bus to take them to The Undertow will arrive at 7:07:07:07... (the :07's continue an uncountable number of times). It also gives a number to call to convert this to human time, but trying to parse the number gives Sloane a headache. She texts a photo of the paper to Ursa.

Ursa shows it to James Studebaker and explains the situation to Quentin and Alexis. Alexis summons a copy of the rotary phone in POP #1 that dials The Estate. Angela answers the phone and asks for either a 47-digit passcode or another department they wish to be connected to. James walks away, not wanting to be involved. Quentin hangs up and tries again, now needing to provide a 48-digit passcode. He guesses a wrong passcode, so Ursa grabs the phone and asks to speak with Joanna.

Joanna answers the phone and isn't able to provide more detail about the bus schedule. Ursa passes the phone to Quentin, and Joanna expresses confusion to him over how he was a guest in past when having an Eidolon means he is a Servant. Quentin gives a vague answer and Joanna then asks them to get to the bus soon, not wanting to go into details about disciplinary measures if they don't show.

Joanna answers the phone and Ursa asks what's up with the bus schedule. Ursa passes the phone to Quentin. Joanna tells Quentin that his possession of an Eidolon means he must be a Servant, but the guest log notes he used to be a guest and is unsure how this is possible. Quentin gives a vague answer and Joanna asks them to make the bus soon, not wanting to go into details disciplinary measures if they don't show. Ursa starts a group chat and passes the message on.

James is on his way back to his dorm when he gets ambushed by a young woman and a camera man asking if he loves the Constitution. She introduces herself as Janet Maguire, a constitutional activist. James says he does not consent to being filmed and leaves. Janet speaks to the camera about how liberal snowflake college students refuse to debate on the marketplace of ideas. Inside James' dorm room is another bus schedule, which he immediately throws away.

Alexis realizes they don't know where the bus will arrive so calls Joanna back. Joanna says they simply need to open any door where they do not know what is on the other side. Alexis asks a few more questions. Joanna says those who do not wish to work are welcome to resign, but are free to change their mind in the time it takes to process the paperwork. She also explains that the world has changed because they cleaned a room in The Estate. Alexis thanks her and hangs up.

James and Sloane chat over text and decide things have changed enough that they should head back to The Undertow with the others. Ursa, Alexis, and Quentin are making their way to the financial administration office as none of them have been there before. On the way, they run into Michael Clark who apologizes for the employment mix-up yesterday and that Quentin's job is probably safe.

Caroline texts Quentin to ask when he's coming home, to which Quentin says he needs to go back down to The Undertow. Caroline doesn't reply, and Ursa, Alexis, and Quentin open a door and find themselves outside in The Undertow. The buildings dissolve behind them. They have to fend off a shadow monster, and many more draw closer as a bus arrives trampling most of the monsters. Sloane arrives just in time to get splashed with slime along with the others, James shows up a moment later with his baseball bat.

Stapleton opens up the doors and invites everyone on board. As Ursa gets on board, Stapleton hands her a low-quality blanket to put on the seat below her. Upon learning his racist intent, Sloane takes the blanket and throws it outside. After an unknown amount of time, the bus pulls up to The Estate. It drives around to the back of the mansion to the Employee's Entrance.

Quentin's Class head inside to find a small, lightly-furnished room. Joanna is slumped against a wall and welcomes them back. She leads them to a locker room where she has prepared uniforms for them all. Ursa finds a french maid outfit, Sloane a modified valet uniform, James a pair of overalls and a baseball cap, Alexis a janitor's uniform, and Quentin an entire hazmat suit. Joanna leads them further into the mansion, saying she has prepared a short video presentation.

Appearances
● Alexis Lorentzen // Vivid Memories Turn to Fantasies

● Angela

● Caroline Rose

● James Studebaker // Time After Time

● Janet Maguire (First and Last Appearance)

● Joanna

● Michael Clark

● Quentin Brooks // Speakerboxxx

● Sloane Parker // Start A Riot

● Stapleton

● "Ursula" Ursa "Bear" // Revolution Lover

Trivia
● Quentin Brooks declares the start of this episode is May Day, meaning it is either the 1st of May or the first Monday of May.

● During his stumbled lecture, Quentin Brooks performs a musical number about the importance of saving the school. Anyone who was listening gets a bonus the next time they attempt to "change the world through song". For some player characters, this bonus remains in place most of the season.